The British sure know how to make good entertainment (thank you, BBC). When it comes to TV shows, I love that each episode is often like a mini-movie, each lasting more than an hour. And the Christmas specials are to die for. I even watch the Dr. Who Christmas specials (but I do leave the room when those darn Daleks show up, because I have limits).
Continue reading “From across the Pond – My Top 10 British TV Series”Category: Self-care
From across the Pond: My Top 10 British Novels
In honor of birth of baby Archie (congratulations Harry and Meghan!), I’m dedicating the next few posts to my favorite British novels, TV series and movies. I love all things British: the history, the urban and rural landscapes, the architecture, the food, and best of all, the accents. I love it all: Arthurian legends, C.S. Lewis, Oxford, G. K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens, The Seven Sisters cliffs, Fortnum & Mason, Liberty fabrics, Bath, Cornwall, Afternoon Tea, Jamie Oliver, Michael McIntyre, and the duck sandwich at the Borough Market. If I believed in reincarnation, I would swear that I was a British lady in a past life. The few times that I have traveled to England, it has felt like coming home.
Continue reading “From across the Pond: My Top 10 British Novels”Attend a Homeschooling Conference!
“The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only – and that is to support the ultimate career.” C.S. Lewis
This quote by the great C.S. Lewis was on the welcome page of the program guide at the Great Homeschool Convention event in Texas last month. As soon as I read it, I knew I was in the right place. I see my role as a homeschooling mom as my calling, my vocation, and my profession. I’m often asked by strangers if I’m “qualified” to teach my children. Since I don’t have a teaching degree, this question used to fluster me and leave me feeling, well, unqualified. But after years of reflection, I can confidently assert that I’m qualified. Like a true professional, I’m dedicating thousands of hours to master my trade. I actively engage with veteran homeschooling moms, curriculum creators, and experienced teachers. Undoubtedly, however, one of the best ways in which I invest in my professional development is by attending homeschooling conferences.
Continue reading “Attend a Homeschooling Conference!”New in 2019: Resolutions
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I have never been into making resolutions. It’s probably because I have such a poor track record of accomplishing big goals that the last thing I need is a visual reminder of all the goals I’m not “crushing”. Over the last year or two, however, I’ve felt the need to become more intentional about my life. Perhaps it’s because I recently joined the 40s club, and it’s given me an existential crisis – where am I, where have I been and where am I going? Or perhaps it’s because my kids are getting older and I’m no longer on survival mode. Therefore I have more time to reflect and make some longer term goals. Whatever the reason, making resolutions for this new year is making sense to me. You can tell I’m new at this, for it’s already the end of January and I’m still in goal setting mode. Oh well. Baby steps! So here they are – many of them are half-baked but I won’t let that stop me!
Continue reading “New in 2019: Resolutions”Morning Meditation: Blessed are the Meek
As part of my effort to carve out personal and prayer time before the kids wake up, I am reading daily meditations from In Conversation With God, by Fr. Francis Fernandez. Every once in a while I will share something I read which resonates with me.
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“Oh it’s the *Meek*…blessed are the Meek! That’s nice, I’m glad they’re getting something, ’cause they have a hell of a time.” Monty Python’s Life of Brian (an irreverent but hilarious movie with superb social commentary).
Today’s meditation is about meekness. How I have struggled with that word. For the longest time I equated meekness with being a pushover, a coward, and a weakling. I would think: the louder, the stronger. This mistaken understanding has caused me a lot of pain throughout the years. Rather, it has caused those close to me a lot of pain, as they have had to deal with my outbursts and hot temper.
How My New Morning Routine is Giving me Peace
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A few months ago, I hit rock bottom. After eight years of doing this homeschooling gig, you think I would have figured out how to prevent burnout. But no. Every single year, many times a year, I crash and burn. My patient husband then proceeds to pick up the broken pieces and put me back together. Somehow, by the time June rolls around, we decide to give homeschooling another go.