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You Might be at a Homeschool Wedding if…

Wonderfully said! Many joys are yet to be had in our home.

Pahlow's English: Global Classroom

alex & josh pic Tomorrow best friends Alexandra Garcia and Joshua Germenis, two former English 5 students, exchange their vows. Bless you both for your commitment to the LORD and His plan for marriage. To your peers, you are an example; to us moms, you are our hope.

The only thing better than a homeschool graduation is a homeschool wedding. For those just starting their homeschool journey, these should be attended as often as possible. For us moms already in the trenches, these are nothing less than a kiss on the cheek from Jesus Himself.

For the uninitiated, however, these events are bound to be odd. It would certainly be helpful to know what you are getting into ahead of time, so you can mentally prepare. Without any further ado, you might be at a homeschool wedding if:

  • The decorations, while elegant and thoughtful, are always homemade. Envision an assembly line of moms and…

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The Rodeo’s Coming! – “Where Weird meets Western”

Have you ever been to the Austin Rodeo? Did any of you brave the cold to attend the Cowboy Breakfast this morning?

It’s full of events to fit everyone’s style: music, contests, ranch animals galore, not to mention the good ol’ hometown carnival an’ cookin’! This year it’ll be March 14-28, 2015 at the Travis County Expo Center, 9100 Decker Lake Road, Austin, TX 78724. It’s even gonna be on t.v., well, YouTube that is, on “RA TV” – Rodeo Austin TV, so you don’t have to miss a thing. There are videos there to check out from last too.

Willie Nelson & Family perform for Rodeo Austin 2015.
Willie Nelson & Family perform for Rodeo Austin 2015.

Since we’re in the Live Music Capital of the World, let’s start with the Live Music, in order of appearance. Austin Rodeo will have main stage performances by:

Willie Nelson & Family, Dwight Yoakam, Eli Young Band, Panic!At the Disco, The Beach Boys, Randy Rogers Band, Joe Nichols, Turnpike Troubadours, Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis, Tyler Farr, Boyz II Men, Sublime with Rome, Martina McBride, Lee Brice, and Kevin Fowler.

Continue reading “The Rodeo’s Coming! – “Where Weird meets Western””

Kids: Create Your Own App!

Girl at Computer
Your teenager will smile too while creating their own app using their own laptop or other media device.

Have you ever wanted to do something on your media device only to learn that hasn’t been invented yet or worse yet, that it just isn’t in your budget?

Well now you’ll have the opportunity to have an expert walk you through the steps of simple coding to get one on your own computer or device – FREE! One of the best things about this is that you can say that you made it yourself, well maybe your computer nerd son or daughter will help you ;-). This is the beauty of it all – getting to spend time with your child, soaking up the awesomeness of using an open-standard platform called Bluemix, and exploring your child’s potential as an up-and-coming Programmer or Developer.   Continue reading “Kids: Create Your Own App!”

Play is Vital to Education

Play is the Highest Form of Research - Albert Einstein

Many articles are out there on the benefits of playing as a way to learn. One website, the Alliance for Childhood, lists several researchers, articles, videos, and even conferences, all encouraging young children to play, and in many cases, to play more. Even people from several countries agree.; Wales and Brussels in particular are mentioned on the AC website.

We recently spoke with a soon-to-be Texas public school teacher and mother of school children who told us that their school district is taking a field trip to the Netherlands to explore this very notion. It appears that the Netherlands are now the top-ranking country in the world for best-performing students. Their explanation – they incorporate plenty of playtime at school. In the lower grade levels, students play between every subject.  In fact, the go outside to play, getting the added benefits of fresh air and sunshine.

Sound familiar, Baby Boomers? This adage was once common in America too, but somehow lost its appeal. Unfortunately that lack of plenty of fresh air and sunshine, combined with a lots of play, is one of the factors that has led to the current demise of the American educational system.

What’s YOUR take on this? What do you know about the amount of time spent playing vs. “in the books”?

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