A Day at Lagoon!

Yesterday I got to fulfill a "mom dream" of mine--taking my kids to Lagoon! Some of my absolute favorite memories growing up are going to Lagoon with my mom, sometimes with friends or my Grandma. I loved those moments together and I am so happy I was able to begin forming those same memories with my own children. 

We decided to go out and back in the same day (it's about a 3 hour drive one way). We left Rylee with Caleb (she had a blast with him!) and took Ben's cousins Makenzie and Koy with us. We were trying to leave by 7:00, and I think we made it out by 7:10. 

The drive was long, especially for the kids. They were really excited and it was hard to wait! But we had lots of snacks for them and they did really well. We made one stop for the bathroom in Heber and made it to Lagoon around 10:30. It took us a few minutes to get our stuff all ready (we had a lot of stuff). We had brought our double stroller, which turned out to be really useful. We carried snacks, a change of clothes, swim stuff (which we ended up not using), and other things like sunscreen and hand sanitizer on the stroller, and the kids got to sit in it whenever we were walking around or waiting for something. 

The first thing we did when we got in the park was to find a pavilion to leave our coolers of food. The pavilion we were at was right by Kiddie Land, so Ben and I took the girls on some of those rides while Makenzie and Koy went with their cousin and his date to do some of the bigger rides. 

We started with the firetruck ride. I went with Parker and Ashtyn while Ben took some Dramamine. It's a pretty cute ride and the girls were laughing the whole time at how the ride "tickled their tummies". They were super excited for rides after that.  

Next, we went to the Ladybug Bop ride. I went with Parker and Ashtyn went with Ben (that was our default). It was basically the kid version of the Rocket, having sudden falls. At first, Parker was not sure about the falls, but then I showed her how she could scream each time it fell and she had fun with it after that. Ashtyn didn't really like that ride and didn't want to do it again. 

Then we went over to a car ride and let the kids ride on their own together. I was a little nervous to send Parker on without me, but she went with Ashtyn and they were just fine. They had a blast! 

Right next to the car one was the Flying Tigers ride, which was similar to the car one. Ben went with Ashtyn and I went with Parker, and Parker thought it was fun that she got to "fly" the airplane. Then Ashtyn really wanted to do the teacups ride, so we went over there. Ben didn't want to get sick, or he knew he'd be miserable the rest of the day, so I went with the two girls. We picked the pink teacup and Ashtyn really wanted to spin it fast. I didn't want to get sick either, though, so I let them spin it a little and told them that Koy would take them if they wanted to go fast.

Then we went over to the Odysea ride. It was getting hot and up to this point, we'd been in the shade the entire time. The line for this ride was in the sun, which made wearing the masks harder (they had us wear our masks in line, which wasn't too bad most of the time, and the kids did really well with it). But once on the ride, it was fun. Parker didn't want to get splashed in the face, so she hid her face against the side of the ride the whole time, but she said she had fun. Ashtyn had a blast! On the Odysea, it sprays water at certain parts, and you can move your car up or down to get hit or avoid the water. Ashtyn was in charge of moving their car and she maneuvered it to soak Ben, which she thought was hilariously fun. 

It was about noon at this point, so we headed over to the pavilion and had lunch. We had brought sandwich stuff and snacks. While we were eating, Parker fell off the bench and scraped her leg on some plastic. It was a pretty bad cut and I didn't have a band aid, I felt bad. I went and got paper towels to help and once we were back to rides, she didn't notice it anymore. 

After lunch, Ashtyn wanted to go on the Bat. It was the one ride she was tall enough for that Parker wasn't and the ride that she was looking forward to the most. In the car ride up, she'd told Koy she wanted to go to it with him, so Koy, Koy's cousin and date, and Ben went to the Bat while Makenzie and I took Parker back on the Fire Truck ride. Then we went to the whale kiddie ride (one Parker really wanted to do) but it was closed for sanitizing. So we decided to do the Jumping Dragon roller coaster. Parker wanted to sit by Makenzie and she absolutely LOVED it. When it stopped in the middle, she was so mad it was over, then so happy when it started going again backward. When it was time to get off, it was quite the job to get Parker to come off. 

Then we decided to go to Rattle Snake Rapids, since it was so hot. It was pretty far from the other rides, and the line was longer, but it moved fast. Everyone in our group fit in one raft. Ashtyn sat by me and Parker sat by Makenzie, and they both basically hid in our laps the whole time trying not to get wet. We got super soaked, especially by the waterfall. Koy and his cousin and date went over to do some bigger rides again, and Makenzie and the girls and I decided to go on Rattle Snake Rapids again. I got out the girls water goggles for them, so they didn't hide as much this time around, but we got even more soaked, since we were directly under the waterfall this time around. 

We met up with Ben after that and walked over to Pioneer Village to get some ice cream. Ben and I got Moose Tracks to share, Makenzie got Pralines and Cream, Ashtyn got Playdoh, and Parker got Tiger's Blood. We mostly ended up all sharing, and it was yummy. Then Makenzie went to meet up with Koy to do some more bigger rides and the girls and I walked around Pioneer Village. This is something I do every time I go to Lagoon and it never gets old for me. The girls really liked it too. Their favorite was the hat shop--Ashtyn and Parker walked out saying things like "Madame," and "How do you like my hat?"

We had planned on going to Lagoona Beach and thought now might be a good time, but when we walked over there, it was so crowded, it wasn't very appealing. I was still soaked from Rattlesnake Rapids (Ashtyn had already dried off and I had helped Parker change into one of her extra sets of clothes), so walking around to dry off sounded especially nice to me. 

We decided to do some more rides and went over to the Tidal Wave. We explained to the girls about how you put your hands up and scream when your side goes up. They were doing it until it got really high, then they got scared. We told them they could just hold on and just scream. Ashtyn's face was sacred the whole time, but afterward, she said it was a lot of fun. 

Then I told the girls they could do the Merry Go Round, the first thing they had asked about when I told them we were going to Lagoon. They were so excited to do that. I got on with Parker and Ben got on with Ashtyn. Parker chose a cat because it had a beautiful bow, and Ashtyn chose a horse. Then I went on again with the girls while Ben stayed with the stroller. Ashtyn picked the cat this time and Parker picked a horse. 

Ben and I were ready for a little break after that, so we sat down in the shade and got out some chips and water. We waited there for the rest of our group and then we all went into Terror Ride. Ashtyn wanted to ride with Makenzie and Koy, and Parker rode with Ben and I. Ashtyn didn't get very scared and thought it was a lot of fun. Parker got pretty scared, especially at the jump scares, and said afterwards that she didn't really like it. 

At this point, we were right by the white roller coaster, which Makenzie and I wanted to do together, so Koy and his cousin took the girls to the teacups while we rode on the roller coaster. When we went to meet up with them again, they were on the Flying Tigers ride, which the kids rode a couple times. 

Then we went over to the Bombara, a short roller coaster that the kids were big enough to ride, but that was fun for the adults too. Ashtyn rode Ben and Parker rode with me and both of them had a ton of fun.

After that roller coaster, we decided to split up again. Ben and I took the girls on some more kid rides while the rest of the group went over to the Rocket. I was feeling slightly nauseous, from the heat and too much junk food I think, so I ready to just do some smaller rides with the kids.   

Then the kids wanted to do the Fire Truck ride again, so we all went over and did it together again. Then the Bulgy Whale was open again, so we let the kids do that one. There was no else in line, so the kids got to just stay in their whale seat and go over and over. Parker kept yelling for the attendant to make it go faster. She was really nice, and told us she wished she could. 

Once they got off that, we decided to the the Odysea again. Ashtyn got to soak Ben again and Parker and I figured out how to avoid the water altogether. 

We were all feeling pretty tired and hot by this time, so we went over to the pavilion, where I filled up our water bottles with ice water and we all rested and got some water. This helped and we were ready for some food, so we met up with Makenzie and Koy and ate at the Biergarten. We weren't super impressed with our food, but it was so nice to sit in an air conditioned, quiet room for a few minutes and their bathrooms were really nice. 

I got a caesar salad and chicken fingers with fries to share with the girls. Ben and Koy both got different kinds of sandwiches (I think they were happiest with their meals), and Makenzie got tacos. After eating, Koy and I were feeling energized again, but I think Ben and Makenzie were starting to drag. The girls were doing great the whole time, but I could tell they were starting to get worn out. It was about 6:00 at this point. 

After dinner, Koy and I took the girls on the Jumping Dragon roller coaster (Ben and Makenzie were both worried about getting sick on it, since it goes backward). Then we met up with Ben and Makenzie again and went on the Bombara again. This time, Ashtyn sat with Koy and Parker sat with Makenzie, so Ben and I got to sit together. 

After this, Ashtyn really wanted to do the Bat again with Makenzie and Koy, so they went over there while Ben and I took Parker to do a car ride (she really wanted to). She rode it a couple times, then we went and met back up again. She never wanted to get off, especially since they had a pretty car, she said. 

After we met up again, we went over and let the girls do a boat ride, which is a really cute ride with a bell. Then they really wanted to do a helicopter ride together. Ben and Makenzie were resting and Koy got an ice cream cone. When they were done with those rides, we went over and got in line for the train. It was a little bit of a longer ride, but the kids really wanted to do it. I could tell at this point that they were getting to the end of their patience, because of how they were as we were waiting. 

The train ride was fine. The animals aren't really that cool of a thing and I agree with a lot of what I've read online about it being better for Lagoon to give them to someone who could give them a better home. But regardless, the kids liked the train ride. By the time we got off the train, it was about 7:30. We decided to do one last ride and then head home. Makenzie and Koy went over to do the Cannibal one last time and I took the girls on the Merry Go Round. 

Ashtyn picked a horse and Ashtyn picked a swan. She asked if it moved, and when I told her it didn't, she wanted to switch. But then she wouldn't pick and they wanted to start, so I picked for her .She was really mad that I did that and we were all tired at this point. Then we headed to the pavilion where I got the girls' pajamas on. I wanted them to use the bathroom one last time before we got in the car, but Lagoon closes the bathrooms before they close the park. I'm still a little mad about that. 

We made it to the car and got everything and everyone loaded up. We found a gas station where we could use the bathroom and I brushed the girls' teeth so that we could just put them right in bed when we got home. We left the gas station at 8:30 and it took the girls less than five minutes to fall asleep in the car. They were exhausted. They slept the whole way home, and Makenzie and Koy slept most of the way home as well. 

Ben and I listened to Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson and then talked to keep ourselves awake. We made it home around 11:30 and were in bed around midnight. 

It was a long, exhausting day and so, so fun. I'm so glad we did it and made those family memories together. I'm already looking forward to the next time we can go to Lagoon!

Fourth of July Fun!

This year, our Fourth of July looked a little different since we couldn't do my Grandma's Fourth of July party. We still had a lot of fun and kept a lot of our traditions though! 

We started off the day just being lazy together. The kids played outside until after Rylee's nap, when we took our little kiddie pool over to Ben's parents' house. There, we put the sprinkler under the tramp and let the kids play with water all afternoon. 

After playing with water, we had a yummy dinner. We had shredded beef sandwiches, chips, corn on the cob, potato salad, vegetables (including from the garden), and peanut butter kiss cookies. When dinner was done, we watched The Wizard of Oz and the kids got a much needed rest. 

When the movie was over, we had homemade creamies outside, where the weather had cooled off to perfection. Then we got out Pop Its for the kids. 

At this point, it wasn't dark, but it was past 8:00 and we weren't wanting the kids to stay up super late, so we got out the fireworks we had bought. We didn't go all out, like at my Grandma's, but we also didn't want to skip fireworks altogether. Rylee especially loved them all. 

When we got home, I put Rylee to bed while Ben unloaded the car and Ashtyn and Parker watched some of the aerial fireworks that were going on down the street. Once we finally got them in bed, Ben and I took a blanket to our lawn and watched the neighbors' fireworks as a little date night together. 

It was a wonderful day! I wish I'd taken pictures and we sure missed my side of the family all day, but I love my little family so much. It was so nice to relax as a family while still enjoying some of our favorite things about the Fourth of July. 

Some of my Favorite Things to do in the Summer

I love summer! I would much rather it be way hot than even chilly. And I love going outside when it's warm and hot and I love a lot of "summer" activities. 

I love getting out the little kiddie pool for the kids and getting in it with them! 

I love going to the lake. We have two local reservoirs that are within 15 minutes of our house and we love going to them. We have a pass that allows us to go whenever we want. One has beaches and the other has more rocks and cliffs. 

We also love to go wading out at the creek outside Ben's parents' house. There are tons of mosquitoes, but it's worth it. We wade, throw rocks, dig in the sand when there's some, catch minnows and crawdads, and dig out a deeper swimming hole.  

I love going hiking. This is one we don't do as often, because Ben doesn't like that hassle as much, but I love going on hikes. The journey is fun is and the destination is almost always worth it. 

Another thing we love to do is make a fort out in the trees at Ben's parents' house. This is really fun for the kids and for the adults!

I love sitting outside in the yard, whether here or at either Grandma's house. The kids can play and the grown ups can enjoy the nice weather. 

And of course, the park is a place that we love to go. As long as it's not too hot, it's fun for the kids and I can even get in some reading time every once in awhile. 

I love sending the girls outside. It's nice to be able to get a little bit of a break from the noise and they usually don't squabble as much when they're playing outside. 

I love summer food like popsicles and watermelon and grilled dinners. 

Honestly, there isn't much about summer that I don't love. I'm so happy my favorite season is finally here!

What My Kids Will Get From Homeschool That They Won't Get from Public Education

There has been a lot of talk about whether homeschool should be preemptively banned or not (thanks a lot lady from Harvard). Today I wanted to share why we are choosing homeschool over public education.

*Note: I am not against public education and I know many good people who have had public education their whole life (me included). But I do see the flaws in the system (not the teachers, etc. but the actual system itself). I have had many teachers who helped shape my life and I will forever be grateful to them for that. My mother is also a teacher and I know she makes a huge difference in the school system. Good teachers make a huge difference. But that doesn't mean the system itself isn't flawed, and good teachers understand that. I don't want to put my children in a system like that when I know I can offer a better alternative.

Here are the things I want to give my children that the school system doesn't support. As an engaged and caring parent, you can work on all of these things regardless of education choice. However, homeschooling gives me the freedom to do it in the way that I think is best, without me having to fight against the school system to do so.

Time to explore their own interests 

One of my biggest problems with school is the opportunity cost. Eight hours is way too long for kids to be expected to sit, especially with recess time and breaks becoming shorter and shorter. On top of that, most schools still require homework (even in elementary school!) despite the fact that all the research shows that homework doesn't benefit kids at all.

On top of the pure time, which leaves very little time for everything else, school also requires students to be learning the things that they feel are important (and they is usually some higher up, not the teacher, who decides on what is tested). This means kids get very little of their learning time to pursue what they are interested in.

Interest led learning helps kids engage, teaches them not only about multiple subjects without it being a chore for them but also helps them learn how to learn, and teaches them to be self motivated. It also helps them retain the natural love for learning that they are born with. When we force kids to spend  hours a day learning about things that are not only unrelated to their lives but something they aren't even interested in, we aren't teaching them to be disciplined, we are teaching them that learning is not fun and something they have to do, something to be avoided. As they pursue things they are truly passionate about, we can introduce the tools of discipline to them. They can then learn the skills in connection with something they are passionate about, giving them the motivation to be disciplined themselves. It also introduces natural consequences when they aren't disciplined because they are truly disappointed that they didn't succeed (rather than disappointing a parent or teacher with a bad grade).

The drive to learn on their own

I touched on this in the last point, but I truly believe that the best way to motivate children is by letting them learn about things that they are interested in. As parents, Ben and I are very involved in our children's lives. We spend a lot of time with them and introduce them to a variety of subjects. As they show interest in a subject, we find ways to help facilitate their learning in that area.

One example of this was Ashtyn's recent interest in Perler Beads. She loved building with blocks and she loved drawing. Ben got graph paper and showed her how pixel art works (blocks are basically 3D pixel art). She loved it, so for Christmas, we looked for a craft that was similar to pixel art for her. We found Perler Beads and she loved them. She would spend hours everyday this last winter doing Perler beads, both with us and on her own.

She learned so much from it. She learned about shapes, grids (which is really helpful for math later on), colors and creativity. She improved her fine motor skills. She learned how to follow a pattern, how to market (she would sell her toys to buy more beads), how to add (as we added up her money), how to save her money, and how to be patient when something took a long time to make. Now she's moved on to other interests that are teaching her a lot as well, but I know that she is better for everything she learned from her Perler bead experience.

Studies show that when we are externally motivated, it actually takes away our internal motivations. So, let's say someone is paying you to read. You no longer want to read for the joy of reading, you begin to read solely for the pay, making it harder to enjoy books and making reading a chore. You then only read when someone is paying you, and won't do it for the joy of reading.

The public school system employs many external motivations to motivate students. This can take away the students' drive to learn on their own, making learning and reading something they only do "for school" or "for a grade" rather than a natural part of their life. It is also a contributing factor in why many adults do not continue their own education after high school or college and many adults don't read even one book a year.

The understanding that all learning is good-even math or whatever subject they aren't as naturally talented in

One thing that I came away from public school thinking was that I was bad at math. This wasn't a teacher's fault or because I actually was bad at math. It certainly wasn't my mom's fault (who teaches math!). It was because of the system. My test results in all subjects were always higher than average--except in math. Math was always my lowest test score. I also got bad grades in math due to not being able to do my times tables quickly enough (even though I knew them all) and then later because I wanted to read at home rather than doing math homework.

I know now that math is important and that I am able to learn the skills needed for math. For our kids, we won't test them on math or give them math worksheets,  but we will help them learn math skills as our kids want to learn them (for what they are interested in, like programming video games or cooking) and will show them by example that math is important for both men and women to learn.

A growth mindset 

A growth mindset (versus a fixed mindset) is one of the most important skills to have a successful life. It is the belief that you can improve through work, trying different methods, and asking for help when you need it. The biggest aspect of a growth mindset is understanding that mistakes are a good thing. Mistakes are how we learn!

Everything in the system from grades to tests counteracts this mindset. It teaches that you need to prove how smart you are, especially compared to other students. It teaches that if you get a bad grade, you aren't "smart" (not intentionally, but talk to most kids who get bad grades and they will tell you that's how they feel). It teaches that mistakes are bad and if you don't do it the "right" way, you will fail. In the public school system, children are almost constantly being evaluated, which is not an environment that fosters growth mindset.

At home, Ben and I can work on our own growth mindset, especially in relation to the way we see our kids, and foster an environment that promotes mistakes and trying things that are hard. We won't have to counteract the mindset they are getting from school or fight the system they are in to do so. 

The ability to do their thing without comparing themselves to others

This is very much related to the last point. Comparison is all about proving whether you are above or below someone else. It is all about what you are right now, not the journey that you are on.

Kids are all on a different journey and are all on different places in different areas. So are adults! The school system encourages this comparison. It wants to place you somewhere. It wants to be able to say if you are "ahead" or "behind" or "right on track". But why do we allow these arbitrary measurements (and they are arbitrary, picked by people who don't know your child and that are often not research based) to make our kids feel like they don't measure up, or maybe even worse, that they are "better" than other kids.

It creates a fixed mindset. Those who feel they don't measure up give up and lose their love for learning because "they're not smart". Those who feel they are ahead of the curve kill themselves to stay ahead and continue to prove that they are smart, rather than focusing on learning. They too lose their love of learning.

You can never take away the desire to compare. It's a natural human instinct. But you can cultivate an environment that encourages creativity, making mistakes, and learning at your own pace. When you have an environment like that and are purposely teaching your kids in a way to discourage comparison they will be able to focus on learning and growing and just being themselves rather than constantly trying to prove themselves.

Time to have free play outside for hours 

Like I said earlier, the time cost of school is one of it's biggest drawbacks in my opinion. Kids should have a minimum of 2 to 4 hours of free play outside per day. There are so many developmental benefits for kids being outside in a variety of environments. And kids learn SO much when they have time to do free play, without adults in their play. Most kids need 20 to 45 minutes before they really get into creative play, so having a minimum of 2 hours allows them to have plenty of that imaginative play. 30 minute recess doesn't cut it.

Also, this outside time is important for teenagers and adults too!

Time to read--both aloud with me and on their own 

Again, with the time. Because it really is my biggest concern. Kids should be read aloud to for 30 minutes to 2 hours minimum per day. This obviously can be done with your kids in school (my mom did it!) but it's not as easy. When you homeschool, read aloud can be a natural part of your school day!

Another really important thing for kids to become avid readers is to have time to read and see adults they respect reading with them at the same time. This is something that I'm not in control of at school. They might get that. Their teacher might do silent reading time each day and might even sit down and read at the same time as them. But their teacher might not. When I'm their teacher, I'm in control of this.

I also want them to have the time to sit and read, if that's what they want to do with their day. I speak from personal experience that school can make it really hard to read as much as you want. Reading well bleeds into every other educational aspect and the more a child reads, the better they get at reading. Between school assignments (often below their level, because they are trying to teach so many kids at different levels) and homework, it really limits reading time. But kids need lots of time to read just for fun!

Time to spend with their family and their siblings 

I know a lot of families who do public school (and I really look up to them and their mothers!) who really prioritize family time and are really close as a family. However, I also know that when you aren't away from each other for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it's a lot easier to find time to spend together. And quantity time (in addition to quality time) is the best way to grow strong relationships.

Having school with siblings of different ages also has a lot of benefits that being around people of the same ages can't provide. They get to be taught by different people, teach younger siblings (which is the best way to learn), and learn to get along with people very different from them.

Time to do nothing 

Okay, this is the last time one. But I think having time to do nothing is really important, as kids or as adults. But if your kid wakes up early, goes to school, comes home to do homework, has family dinner, then does even just one extra activity, when are they going to have time to do all the other important things (like explore their interests, read and be read aloud to, play outside, have free play, and spend time with family), much less have down time? On Saturdays? I don't know about you, but as an adult, I like to have time to myself each day where I'm not expected to do something. Once a week isn't enough for me and I don't think it is for my kids either.

The freedom to be creative 

The way the school system is set up discourages creativity. Which makes sense, when you know that public schools were first created to train kids for factories. In school, kids are supposed to color in the lines. They are supposed to do things the way the teacher wants, or the administrator wants. With Common Core, it's not even enough to get the right answer anymore, they have to get the answer in the correct way as well. Heaven forbid the children get creative and problem solve themselves, rather than following the step by step guide handed to them.

I want my kids to learn to problem solve. I want them to understand the logic behind the math well enough that they could figure out a solution, even if their method isn't the "best" way. I want them to not be scared that they're going to come up with something dumb. They probably will! But they won't come up with something good until after they come up with some things that are dumb or don't work.

As an aspiring author, I remember when I was creative as a child. I remember not being worried about what other people thought or writing something dumb. As an adult, after years of public school, I'm having to relearn those things. I'm realizing that creativity is a skill and you have to risk yourself to do so. I know that I can relearn those skills and be an amazing author, but I don't want my kids to unlearn them in the first place.

The freedom to travel and do other activities outside of school work 

One of the things Ben and I want to do is make travel a big part of our homeschool. We are already exposing our kids to different ideas, cultures, and people through books and we look forward to traveling with our kids to do that as well. School makes it harder to do so (not impossible, just harder).

I also want real world experiences to be a big part of my kids' education. Cooking, gardening, going to shows, visiting farms, going to museums. Schools have field trips like this, but because we have a more flexible schedule and less kids (meaning less expensive) we can do these sorts of things more often if we want to. It's all in our control.

The skills to have a healthy body 

Most schools require kids to sit most of the day, for long stretches of time. Most schools have school lunches that are junk (they count jello as a fruit and tomato sauce on pizza as a vegetable). I want my kids to learn to sit still, but I will not require them to do so for hours. Not only is that bad for their bodies, it's actually against their nature! And for a reason. I want them to move and run and build their muscles. And I want them to spend a lot of time doing that.

I also want them to eat healthy. I want them to eat a balance of macro nutrients that have healthy ingredients in them. I don't mind them having treats sometimes, but when they eat at our house (not school), I get to decide what foods to offer them and it's easier for me (I don't have to worry about packing a lunch and everything that goes with that if I want to avoid school lunch).

And, having them home, I get to involve them in the preparing of the healthy food we're eating. This is true, of course, for kids who go to school. But when you homeschool, not only are there more opportunities for it (because they are there with you all day), but they also have more time (time is so huge!) to actually help with it.

The skill of being internally motivated 

I talked about this a little already, but it's so important, I just wanted to touch on it one more time. Being internally motivated as an adult opens up a lot of doors. It gives you more options. It puts your life more in your control and helps you to always be bettering your life.

Public school teaches kids to be reliant on external motivations. Deadlines. Grades. Tests. Homework assignments. Everything they do and learn is graded in some way, taking away their chance to do things for the natural benefits.

But if kids grow a garden for fun, they get the benefits of working (which feels good) and the vegetables. If kids want to learn math so they can program a game, they get the benefit of the fun of making the game and the finished product at the end.

If kids are required to do math, they get the benefit of a good grade (which does feel good). But why would they ever do math again if a grade wasn't on the line? A person who is taught this way, unless they teach themselves to be internally motivated, will need to find a job that gives them those external motivations and probably won't do as well as if they knew how to motivate themselves without those external pressures.


Like I said at the beginning, I don't think public school is bad. We are all our own agents and kids can still choose to learn a lot in public school. As parents, too, we have a lot of influence over our kids whether we homeschool or choose to send our kids to public school. We can still cultivate a lot of these things and prioritize the most important things.

However, I know that if I sent my kids to public school, I would be fighting the system. I would be hoping for teachers that saw the good in my children and worked for the same educational goals I have. Sometimes I would get that! There are a lot of amazing teachers out there. But there would also be times I wouldn't get that. It's not in my control.

As I homeschool, I am in control of a lot more. I get to create the environment, the rules, and the expectations for my kids. I get to be right there to talk with them about ideas and problems as they come up. It is a lot of work to homeschool, but I see the benefits as far outweighing that work.

Plus, I get a front row seat as my children learn and grow, struggle and strive, and that is my favorite part of parenting to date.

Books I Read - May 2020

I had a decent reading month in May. I didn't read very many five star reads, but most of the reads were four star (I also DNF'd one book).

Favorite Books of the Month: 

Across a Star Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund 

The Light of All that Falls by James Islington 

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glasser 

The Field Guide, The Seeing Stone, and Lucinda’s Secret by Toni DiTerlizzi   

Spiderwick Chronicles 1-3 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When their dad leaves, their mom takes Jared, Simon, and Mallory to their aunt’s old rundown house. While Jared is working through his anger, he finds a field guide that opens up a dangerous world of faerie creatures. 

This series is our current read aloud and Ashtyn loves these. The first is a little slower and more of an introduction, but the second picks up really quickly. I do think they are much more interesting to the target age group than to adults than other middle grade I have read. 

Across a Star Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a Scarlet Pimpernel retelling set in a dystopian future. It’s set in the same world as For Darkness Shows the Stars (while you could read this independent of the first, there are characters from the first that appear in the second).

I loved this! I really felt the retelling captured the feeling of the original book. I loved seeing the parallels to the original and the unique way the story went with the scifi world and with the scarlet pimpernel being female. 

The Amazing Spider-man by Stan Lee 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a collection of the original Spider-Man comic books back in the 60’s, I believe. I have always loved Spiderman best and I also like the style of these older comics, so I really enjoyed them. 

DNF: My Sister, My Friend  

⭐⭐⭐

This was a nonfiction LDS book--more of a supportive, uplifting book. It wasn’t bad, but it also didn’t have anything that made it stand out to me. 

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy 

⭐⭐⭐

This is a self help book talking about the idea that small actions lead to big results. It had some good ideas embedded in it, but I didn’t love the author and the way he explained many of the ideas. 

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glasser 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Vanderbeeker family have always lived on 141st street, so when their landlord refuses to renew their leases, the kids hatch a plan. 

This was a charming, light hearted read. It was a little predictable, but for me that was actually enjoyable and I had a lot of fun with it. I had heard it compared to The Penderwicks before, but it didn’t quite live up to it, so I would recommend not going into it expecting that. 

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear 

⭐⭐⭐

This is presented as a historical mystery, but it’s actually a character-driven, introspective historical fiction that has some mystery aspects to it. It takes place years after WWI and focuses on the emotional impact it left on people. The beginning was very slow and because of my expectations going in, I didn’t love it as much. The middle of the book is a flashback to the main character’s background, which I personally loved, and then the ending picked up more in regards to the mystery. It was an okay read, but I’m not sure I’ll continue the series. 

Just Jane by Nancy Moser 

⭐⭐⭐

This is a historical biographical historical fiction. It was enjoyable and I loved learning more about Jane Austen and seeing where some of her inspiration might have come from. It dragged just a little for me, though, especially by the end. 

The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When orphaned Althea is sent beyond the borders of her country, she discovers that not only do magical horses still exist, but she has a special bond with them. 

I enjoyed this fairy tale-esque story, but I was left wanting more. It was a short read, which made for a fast paced plot, but it also left a lot of the world and characters feeling not quite as fleshed out. 

The Light of All that Falls by James Islington 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was my audiobook this month and the final book in the Licanius trilogy. It was a very satisfying ending. The book was about a four star rating for me until the ending, but the epilogue tied things together so well and was such a great conclusion that I had to bump it up to five stars. 

And as a bonus, I thought I'd include my stats here as well! I love stats :D

We’ll start with my reading stats. I read 11 books in May for a total of 3,201 pages. I DNF’d 1 book, only a couple chapters in. 

I had 1 reread and 10 new reads. I read 3 shorter books aloud to my kids (the first 3 Spiderwick Chronicles). 

I read only 2 five star reads, 6 four star reads, and 3 three star reads. I had 0 two or one star reads. I think I would have rated the book I DNF’d 3 stars. 

With genres, I read 5 fantasy, 1 mystery, 1 contemporary, 1 scifi, 2 historical fiction, 1 graphic novel, and 1 nonfiction (a self help book). 

I read 5 middle grade, 2 ya, and 4 adult books. 

Of the books I read, 3 were from the library, 2 were eBooks, 1 was an audiobook, and 5 I owned a physical copy of it. 

I read 8 female authors and 3 male authors. 

I read 2 new releases. 

From my May TBR, I read 7/10. 

From my 2020 TBR list, I read 3 books. 

That brings me to a total of 13/36 books so far this year. 

I read 6 books that are part of a series. I started 2 new series and finished 1 series. 

I bought 2 books and unhauled 0 books. I bought 4 ebooks and my husband bought 2 (we share a Kindle account) for a total of 6 ebooks bought. I bought 1 audiobook. 

At the start of the month, I owned 18 books I hadn’t read yet, starting in June I now have 14. 

At the start of the month, my Kindle had 14 ebooks I hadn’t read yet on it. Starting in June, it has 18. 

At the start of the month, I had 4 audiobooks I haven’t listened to and starting in June, I have 4 audiobooks still.

I didn’t keep track of how many words I wrote because I wasn’t drafting. 

I edited about 50% of my second draft. 

On my YouTube channel, I posted 11 videos. I gained 8 subscribers in May. Since switching to Authortube, rather than a focus on BookTube, my channel growth slowed down a lot. I expected that and am working on finding my new audience and community. 

I had 595 views and 33.5 hours of watchtime. 

There are my stats! I had a pretty good month overall and am happy with my progress. I didn’t have the best reading month, but I still had a lot of good reads. I am excited to move forward into June! 

What was your reading month like in June? 

Parker is 4!

Fourth birthday: June 1, 2020

Favorite food: Parker loves most food. She eats a "cookie dough bar" (a balance bar) first thing each morning. If you ask her what her favorite food, you'll get some variation of sugar (she will tell me her favorite food is anything with sugar in it), candy, cookies. Some of her favorite meals are macaroni and cheese, ham and crackers, pancakes, homemade chicken nuggets with honey mustard, and tuna salad.

Favorite toys: her teddy bear, dress ups (she will spend so much time picking out accessories to wear), markers, her bike, her princess action figures, playdoh

Favorite things to say: 

"How dare you?" 

"You are the prettiest mom!" (if she's happy about something I did)

"You are dumb!" (if she doesn't like something)

"I'm boring!" (for I'm bored)

"So much ..." (Rylee is so much cute, this is so much scary, etc.)

"Don't let the big bugs bite" (every night at bed, when we say don't let the bed bugs bite)

Favorite things to do: Dance "ballet", ride her bike on the new road with Ashtyn, find bugs, play with babies (Rylee and Navy and Grace), play PJ Masks with Thomas, ride on the four wheeler, wear swimming suits, cross her legs and hold onto things,

Favorite People: Me (she’s still a big momma’s girl), Grandpas, Thomas, Dalin (he alternates between her favorite person and "scary because he eats my toes"), and Caleb (he's been staying with us this week and she's so excited that "he's part of our family now").

Learned this year: She was potty trained! It was a big deal for all of us and she loves that she is a "big girl". She also started learning to ride a balance bike, more letters and some of their sounds, and how to cut along a line, how to draw people and draw some things on purpose (rather than drawing and then saying what it looked like). She also is more interested in the chapter books I read aloud, rather than simply the picture books.

Favorite books: Milk and Cookies, Fancy Nancy, The Three Little Pigs, I'm Ready to Read with Minnie, The Gruffalo and the Gruffalo's Child, Little Red Riding Hood

Favorite shows: Avatar the Last Airbender, PJ Masks, Word Power, Sofia the First, Goldie and Bear

Favorite Movies: The Little Mermaid, Into the Spider-verse, Barbie a Mermaid's Tale

We love our Parker and I love watching her learn and grow!