Lessons found when you get your hands dirty...

Here are so many wonderful lessons that naturally occur when you grow a vegetable garden. Today, with the help of my husband turning the soil, I was able to plant my spring seeds! Yeah! It felt so good to get down and get my hands really dirty and plant some seeds. I can't wait for fresh produce right out of my own garden again. We planted peas, radishes, onion sets, carrots, spinach and 3 kinds of lettuce!

This summer we are planning on pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelons, tomatoes, beans, and corn. I know I am squishing a lot into my little raised beds, but I can't help it. I am addicted! Plus, I have learned a trick of training the vining plants to grow up strong supports. So I can squish more in...I call it vertical gardening!

Besides eating great produce, I know that my children will be learning about seasons, how plants grow, nutrition, and the joy of being patient!

Playing Checkers

Lately, my 5 1/2 year old son has become obsessed with playing checkers with me. I love board games and am very competitive myself.

I decided when I first introduced my son to any board game, that I would not just "let him win." Every other aspect of being his mother is helping him along this way...from assisting with reading to buttoning up his pants. I believe that being a good looser as well as a winner are needed skills to learn. I also know that life can be tough, and you are not given free hand outs all the time.

When we fist began playing checkers months ago and Isaac lost, he would cry and become very angry. I would comfort him and put the game away. Please note that every time we play, it was his idea in the first place...

Lately he wants to play non-stop. He is starting to understand that there is strategy involved and has began asking for insight. He has never beat me yet, but he is starting to get close. Isaac even tripled jumped me and got a king before I even noticed it.

The best part of playing checkers, are the thinking skills involved. He not only has to watch his moves, but anticipate mine. I have watched his academic skills skyrocket at the same time. So the ironic part is, the more me play games and I don't teach academic skills, the better his academic skills are becoming...