Posted by Elisabeth Tanner on 2/6/2017
to
Homeschooling
My son asked me to play this week. Now I am good at playing games with them. I can
read aloud and color, do puzzles and shoot hoops. But play? He was asking me to engage in his imaginary story and become
part of that world. And I froze. I am embarrassed to admit that I truly didn’t
know how to respond. It was so easy to play along when they were little–have a
tea party, drive big trucks, rock the baby doll… But as they have aged and
their stories have become more complex, I realized that I had stopped playing with my kids. Is our imagination
like a muscle? Can it atrophy?
Posted by Elisabeth Tanner on 1/23/2017
to
Homeschooling
I have a challenge
for you–stop and look, look around you. What do you see? So often we are in
such a hurry that we do not actually see what is right in front of us. This was
driven home to me this week, in the dentist’s office of all places. Our family
was visiting a new dentist for our six-month cleanings and I spent a good bit
of time in the one room as he worked with both of my children. Near the end of
the visit, my son had to cooperate for an uncomfortable procedure that would
last for two minutes. As I was scrambling to distract his mind from the large
piece of equipment in his mouth I blurted out, “Hey, bud, look at that picture!
What story does it tell you?”
Posted by Elisabeth Tanner on 1/9/2017
to
News
It is snowing today–a
lazy, slow snowfall, with tiny little snowflakes. The last time it snowed the
flakes came down as huge, wet globs, quickly coating everything in sight. Not
only are there many different kinds of snowfalls, but each individual snowflake
is different. This scientific fact has never ceased to amaze me! How creative
God is to design millions and millions of different flakes.
Posted by Elisabeth Tanner on 11/21/2016
to
Homeschooling
I was reading aloud to my children at breakfast
this morning and one of my favorite things happened. As my son was munching on
his cinnamon toast, the plot built to a suspenseful climax. As I used my voice
to express the tension of the moment, I happened to glance across the table.
There sat my nine-year-old boy, as still as a statute, with mouth gaping and
toast hanging from his fingertips, completely enthralled with what was
happening in the story. I continued to read, but my heart smiled and shouted a
huge “Gotcha!” He was hooked.
Posted by Elisabeth Tanner on 11/8/2016
to
History
As
I contemplated the coming election and the events surrounding it, I realized
that the last time a new person was elected to the office of president, my
daughter wasn't even born and my son was only 2 years old?!? Somehow it seems
impossible that life could go by so quickly!
