Today, you're working to coordinate lessons, manage the household and see that your children are properly fed, taught and nurtured.  You've got a lot going on!

     Before everyone starts school, you decide to have the kids do chores.  And that requires the need to communicate.

    What happens when you ask your little one to fold towels?  What's the response when you ask your teenager to take out the trash?

You sit.  You take a deep breath and wonder, "What will my child be when he or she grows up?"

    Have you asked that question recently?  Do you find yourself wondering if everything you're teaching is really sinking in to your children's hearts and minds?

     Well, let me assure you that what you say and teach today is definitely going to have an impact on your children tomorrow --as in the down-the-road tomorrows of life. 

Have you ever considered that homeschooling is the most natural extension of mothering?  What I mean is that all mothers are teachers.  And for those of us who wish to impart our faith to our kids -- what better way to mold, nurture & love them than to live out our faith right in front of them, hour by hour, day in, day out, month in, month out?  Homeschooling gives us the time, ability and opportunity to allow the 'roots' of our children's faith to go super deep...

    ... Jay pulls into the driveway and meets Java at the front step.  

       Turns out that the previous week, the twins were out in the back yard playing 2-man baseball (however you do that!) with a tennis ball on a break after lunch.  The ball was hit into Java's yard, so one of the twins scaled the fence to retrieve it.  A normal routine for a young boy. They resumed playing their game, and never told me a thing about it.

Just like rapid changes in the weather are hard to adjust to, so is a rapid downward spiral in my children’s attitudes and our conversations...What are my priorities when this happens in our home? How do I keep a faith perspective? Where do I find encouragement to respond in humility and trust in God?

What could be nicer than saying, "I love you?"   

      To celebrate Valentine's Day this year, consider making homemade cards. They're a lot more meaningful when you design them yourself. And while the kids are busy creating their cards, how about making a very special one for your husband -- even if it's just a simple 'I Love You'...

 I remembered that my neighbor up the street had a son in ice hockey, and had mentioned that she would like to get rid of some of his old skates.  I knocked on her door and told her my request.  She rummaged through the hall closet and pulled out a pair of well-worn skates that would likely fit an eight-year-old.  Thanking her, I hurried home, but didn't tell the twins about the skates.  That afternoon, I found another pair on sale for a great price.

Tomorrow's lesson:  ice-skating.  But, That would be my secret until tomorrow after math...