Homeschooling 
I think we counted about 52 of them—and that was just in the first hour. (At least that's the number I remember. We probably lost count after a while.) My son and I laid in reclining lawn chairs looking up at the dark night sky because it was the night of the annual Perseids meteor shower—possibly the best meteor shower of the year. It was a warm August night. We smelled of citronella and peppermint bug spray. And I think he thought it was cool to be able to stay up late with Dad, chatting about movies, superheroes, LEGOs, and whatever else came into his 8-year-old brain. At one point he wanted to know what ...Read More
Foods 47 Amazing Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
When going to parties and other social events as a gluten-free family — everyone is always worried about the kids (and I appreciate that!). When there's cookies, and bars, and treats galore, that my kids just can't eat, they don't want them to feel out of place. I have quite a stash of gluten-free cookie recipes, so I never hesitate to offer to bring a big plate of gluten-free cookies! Not only do my kiddos love these gluten-free cookie recipes, the gluten-eaters enjoy them too. I've included 47 gluten-free cookie recipes for your baking enjoyment below. They're divided into the following categories so you can ...Read More
The Missing Key to Christian Parenting
I wasn't expected to be convicted during the sermon a couple of Sundays ago. (*cringe*) I know that sounds terrible, but the topic was "ministry"—and I do plenty of that. I'm active in the music ministry, the children's ministry, and the women's ministry at church. I have a fulfilling online ministry, too. No, I'm not flexing my own muscles here; these ministries challenge me in a way that leaves no room for doubt that I'm desperately dependent on God's strength for every bit of all this. But when my pastor confronted us with the truth that ministry performed apart from the power of Christ isn't gospel ministry at ...Read More
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency – you don’t want to miss!
When I was growing up, and even into adulthood, I never once considered the possibility that we could be deficient in a particular mineral in our body. I was always in the camp that you can get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals from food alone (which I believe is still possible through responsible farming). However, due to the modernization of farming and the depletion of minerals in the soil, getting all the vitamins and nutrients we need from food may not always be an option. It was through my wife’s personal experience with magnesium deficiency that I discovered how serious (and severe) the consequences of a ...Read More
Engaging our Kids Senses with All About Reading
Teaching kids to read can be challenging—at least for impatient folks like me. And trying to engage my kids on my own in any meaningful way when it comes to reading? Forget about it! That's why we've enjoyed using All About Reading. I'm a guy who used to have a 9-to-5 cubicle job where I got to go be among other adults and have adult-like, intelligent, coffee-sipping conversations. Now, I work from home, and I spend most of my mornings in charge of teaching my twin boys (currently age 7). Conversation is enjoyable, but far from intelligent or adult-like. The coffee-sipping is kept to a minimum—there have been way too ...Read More
Gluten Free Dining Guide: safe and yummy food when you’re out
Our family takes a fair number of road trips. But being a gluten-free family (some of us out of necessity), can make eating on the go a little bit trickier—especially when in unfamiliar territory. Sometimes I just wish I had a gluten free dining guide in my back pocket for every little town we went through! For more information on gluten free living check out our Everything Gluten Free resource page. 6 Tips for Gluten Free Dining Eating out can be a challenge when you are living a gluten-free lifestyle. But it's not impossible! While I can't give you a gluten free dining guide for every little town you drive ...Read More
6 Tips for Teaching High School Science at Home (even if you’re not a science nerd)
In public high school, science was full of adventure. I remember pulling the same fetal pig out of the same plastic bag for 5 days in a row, and by the end of that week, I was pretty sure the organs were completely in the wrong place. In chemistry, we loved watching our teacher make things steam, foam, fizzle, pop, and explode. In physics, we loved watching our teacher drop random objects off the top of the second floor of the school building into the parking lot to demonstrate wind friction. When my wife and I decided to homeschool our kids, as the high school years approached, we asked ourselves: How can our kids ...Read More
The Homeschoolers Guide: Saving Money on Science Supplies
When my oldest son was 8, we invited some friends over to our home to dissect a fetal pig. While there were a few "gross!" comments, by and large, the kids were very attentive and interested. Since my background's in biology, I was able to point out all the various internal parts of the pig and what each part did. It was a very fun, interactive afternoon of learning. Sadly, a lot of homeschool parents don't see the value of this kind of hands-on learning—or at least they don't think it's worth the cost of the supplies. But the value of tactile learning—also called kinesthetic learning—cannot be overstated. ...Read More
