For 10 years, I shared easy homestyle recipes and craft projects on this blog, as well as the occasional home project. But life has changed over the past few years and I haven’t shared a lot. I don’t cook like I used to and I got pretty burnt out on crafting and blogging about it. No surprise, with a large family and kiddos with special needs, my priorities have shifted to, well, my large family and special needs kiddos.
A Change in Perspective
When my youngest started kindergarten last year, I took a job at the kids’ elementary school as a Learning and Behavior Disorder (LBD) assistant for a year. It was the perfect fit for me since I already lived in the special needs world. I loved seeing my kids everyday. I loved interacting with all of the kids at the school. I became passionate about play-based learning, the importance of sensory regulation, and how connecting authentically with kids helps them academically. I made life-long friends. I also saw firsthand how difficult it is to be a teacher in today’s world. I saw how much the public school system has changed since I was a student.
This experience changed the way I looked at the public school system, and ultimately led me and my husband Ryan to decide that homeschooling was the best fit for our family. I started homeschooling Luke in February and look forward to Emmie and Jack joining us in August. (Sophie opted to finish out high school.)
New Goals
The content that I’ve produced for so many years is going to change, because I’ve changed. I hope you’ll stay for the new stuff but I understand if you don’t. My purpose now looks like this:
- To return to blogging as an outlet, like I did in the very beginning.
- To share my experiences as a special needs mom so that other special needs parents have a place where they can feel seen and heard.
- To share the resources I’ve found about how children learn–everything from the importance of play, especially playing outside, to various pedagogies like Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf and Charlotte Mason.
- To build awareness about neurodivergent affirming practices, therapy and the language we use around it.
- To share this homeschool adventure, including some great resources I have found (and the ones I’ve created) as a brand-spankin new homeschool parent to one neurotypical and two neurodivergent kids.
- To connect with like-minded parents who appreciate social media and technology like I do, but who want it to take a backseat to real interactions and a more simple way of living.
- To share my new interest in gardening.
Don’t worry, all of the recipes and crafts I have posted for years will stay right here. Just click on the tabs at the top to find what you’re looking for!