Welcome to my circus.

April 3, 2020
by Maralee
4 Comments

For Large Families Who are Sheltering at Home and at the End of Their Rope

My kids are having a brief moment to watch a “Phineas and Ferb” episode while chicken nuggets are in the oven, so I’m going to make this brief. This is really hard. I woke up this morning at the time … Continue reading

March 31, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on Figuring out Survival School- Radio Interview

Figuring out Survival School- Radio Interview

THIS IS HARD, GUYS. We’re facilitating school for our kids, working from home, anxious about the state of the world/our health/our finances, and our typical opportunities for socialization and decompression are gone. Here’s my interview on MyBridge Radio about how … Continue reading

March 18, 2020
by Maralee
4 Comments

This is Not Homeschool. This is Survival School.

Deciding to homeschool your kids is a huge decision. You think about what curriculum will work best for your kids and for your teaching style. You research. You talk to other people about it. If you have kids with medical … Continue reading

March 2, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on Bring Your Kids to Church (radio interview)

Bring Your Kids to Church (radio interview)

Maybe somebody out there has a really easy time getting through the morning insanity of church prep, then their kids sit so nicely and quietly during the service (hands folded, obviously) and afterwards the kids have these insightful conversations about … Continue reading

February 27, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on A Time to Shatter the Functional to Make way for the Beautiful

A Time to Shatter the Functional to Make way for the Beautiful

We walked through the door because it was called “The Shard Shop” and that’s just a name that calls out to you. Our friend uses the word “shard” to describe the shattering of your heart that happens when something is … Continue reading

February 18, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on We Spent the Morning Arguing about Cereal. I Don’t Regret It.

We Spent the Morning Arguing about Cereal. I Don’t Regret It.

I woke up early to come wake you up. Even though you don’t need me to. Even though you’re capable of waking up on your own to your own alarm clock in your own room. Every day you become more … Continue reading

December 31, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on Teaching Kids to Respect Other Cultures Starts With Understanding Your Own

Teaching Kids to Respect Other Cultures Starts With Understanding Your Own

I remember being about nine years old the first time I realized my family culture was different from the culture I was growing up in. My mom had bought a boxed set of cassette tapes of “The News from Lake … Continue reading