Weekend Links ll October 9, 2026

11 Fun Brain Breaks for Kids

Words, Words, Words: Why (and How) to Teach Writing

Gray Wolf Lapbook

Pumpkin Life Cycle Printable

Fall Festival Logic Puzzle

This Week: 

What I'm Cooking:

We've been making chicken and rice bowls with Thai seasoning and sauce.  It's a yummy filling, and light meal.  My teens both love it and it's added a new layer of flavor to our menu.

What I'm Reading:

This week I picked up Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster for my fictional reading.  I wasn't sure how interesting a book of letters could be, but it's surprising me.  It's sweet and charming.  And a quick read.  Would be interesting to try it as a read aloud.

What I'm Doing:

Trying to make memories.... lately I'm reminded how fleeting this period of parenting is... I'm reminded that our years of active parenting are winding down and soon they'll be on their own... It's been a reoccurring them the last three years or so, but it hit me a fresh this week. 

 

What I'm Enjoying:

10 min of morning light...

Thai Chicken bowls...

hiking in the fresh air...

Jane Austen literature...

What are you up to?

Preschool Halloween Picture Books

These are a few of my favorite things.

If you're looking for a few "spooky," kid-friendly picture books to read with your preschooler,

these are just a couple of our favorites.

 

Boneaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone

Boo The Library Ghost by Becky Paige

The Crayons Trick or Treat by Drew Daywalt

How to Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace

Leonard Grows a Haunted Garden by Mike Ciccotello

How Do Dinosaurs say Trick or Treat?

by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Leonard Builds a Haunted House

by Mike Ciccotello

Do you have a favorite?

Questions I Ask When I'm Feeling Behind In Our Homeschool

 As homeschool moms we can often feel the pressure of "Am I doing enough?"  Mom guilt is a heavy load, but when you add homeschool into the mix, the weight can feel crushing.  Suddenly we've taken on the role of not only Mom. but also teacher, counselor, field trip coordinator, curriculum researcher, finance person, ... the list goes on and on.  It can feel like we're constantly behind.  

But the question is... Are we behind?  Or are we running toward an imaginary goal?

These are he questions I ask myself when I'm feeling "behind:"

• Are my kids growing in their math, reading, and logic skills?
• Are my kids able to locate the best option for researching information?
• Are my kids thinkers?  Do their ask good questions and reason through arguments?
• Are my kids "tryers?" Are they ok with failure and use it as a catalyst for further exploration?
• Do my kids display grit?  Do they have the fortitude to pick themselves up?
• Do my kids feel secure in our relationship?
• Do my kids find delight in learning?  If not, how can I adjust to bring in more joy?
• Are my kids curious?  Do they ask questions outside of school hours?

I find that these types of questions put me in a better mindset for evaluating our homeschool.  We may not be in the "correct" lesson of the math book, but they are making progress.  We might have had a bad day with sour attitudes, but overall, our relationship is close.  Our day might have felt rote, but then I remember their delight in identifying the plants on our weekend hike.  All these factors work together in creating a well-rounded homeschool.

Weekend Links ll October 2, 2026

 

Interest-Led Learning When Your Child is Only Likes Video Games

Free Printable Community Helpers Bingo

10 Fun Ways to Teach Geography with Games

5 Fun Ways To Do Chores

Nocturnal Animals Lapbook

What I Read and Our Homeschool Read Aloud ll Sept 2026

 Nonfiction:

Carols for the Coming Christ by Adam M.L.Tice

See my full review here.

Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

I've been meaning to get around to this one for awhile.  TerKeurst addresses the issue of identity and how it prevails in moments of lonely and isolation.  This book is so rice.  I've been going over it in my mind ever since I finished it, and there's still so much to think through.  It's a quick, easy read, but rich enough that it can't be digested in one reading.  I'm keeping it on my nightstand to pick up again.

Fiction:

A Heart Set Grace by Amy Clipston

See my full review here.

The Amish Candlemaker's Fake Fall Marriage by McKenzie Boone

See my full review here.

Sanction by Jane Austen

This unfinished novel follows Charlotte Heywood, an impulsive young woman who finds herself in the upcoming resort town of Sandition.  Previously a steeply little village, Sandition is transforming into an up and coming destination.  Charlotte herself is caught up in romance with lively Sydney Parker.  The edition I read stuck strictly to Austen's writings and ended where her words ran out.  This would have been a fun one to read had she had the time to finish it.

Read Aloud:

The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

Mrs. Olinski is putting together an Academic Bowl team from her sixth grade class and rather than looking at test scores or holding a competition, she decides to handpick her team.  The four students chosen aren't the brightest in the class and yet somehow, they just feel right.  As they defeat team after team, we discover their stories.  Their struggles and triumphs, and their unexplainable connection to each other.  Can this random group of lowly sixth graders win the state championship?  And how does Mrs. Olinski's story fit with theirs?  This was an interesting book about how life shapes us all.  How we find our way in the world.  And how friendship can often bring out the best in us.  This is one of those books that causes you to sit back and ponder ... and ultimately reminds us that we're more alike than we realize.

What are you reading?