I take time to acknowledge the daily miracles in my life because there are plenty of some that I'm aware of and others I must be intentional to seek. With all the distractions, taking those simple daily miracles and blessings for granted is easy.
While seeking advice from others and questioning yourself are normal behaviors, they don't necessarily mean that you lack confidence; instead, they can imply confidence. In a recent list of traits I found related to confident people, I learned that being willing to ask for help, admitting a lack of knowledge, and being willing to make a mistake are some personality traits of confident people.
The practice of journaling gratitude also serves as an opportunity to get out some stuff that we may overlook because of the distractions of life.
I’ve learned a few things about letting go of people, places, and things that are no longer of service, even when they are seemingly good or okay.
While we can't change situations outside our control, I know we can do a few things to help ourselves remain joyful.
Our marriage has been our own from the beginning. We have defined it for ourselves, and I am grateful that through God's grace, our marriage remains.
Pursuing joy while grieving doesn't mean that I am bouncing off the walls happy, but it does mean that I can smile, make good memories, and enjoy what is happening at the moment. We all have different people, resources, and exercises that make us happy.
When I think of cultivating joy and living a life that I enjoy, I know that what I consume can either empower me or derail me on my journey.
Nearly each quarter of the year, I experience transitioning due to my teaching schedule, homeschooling, personal goals--or should I just say life.
By now, I should be used to these shifts since I've experienced transitioning in more than one way throughout my life. I've gone from living with various family members as a child to living on my own as a young adult.
I haven't always felt comfortable taking breaks, but to be the best that I can for myself, I’ve learned that taking breaks from different areas of my life is necessary for my well-being.
I enjoy my life. I can say that without hesitation because the life that I'm living today was designed intentionally. Manifesting to me is the same thing as being intentional.
I do not feel indignation because this country never intended to treat us fairly. My existence is an afterthought if it is even a thought at all.
It was brought to my attention the need for more than the mundane had become a battle for me. I became aware of this part of myself as I watched my 8-year-old in her lunchtime struggle. Girlfriend desired and still does desire inspiring lunch options. Her lunch issue caused me to look inward; I, too, struggle with the need for excitement to make life more thrilling and worthy.
As I've come to understand myself and my conditions, I can share some ways I, too, have continuously experienced joy during pain.
I wrote this post on September 23, 2016. I never published it. I didn’t publish because I didn’t want to have conversations that tend to happen when Black people speak up for themselves.
When I started teaching my art classes on Outschool, I had no idea if this was a real way to earn money. I didn’t know anyone else who taught, and the platform didn’t provide much support as it related to getting started. I did a lot of figuring stuff out on my own.
I was 19 when a friend said to me, “Latonya, I don’t want to ever see you going out to eat alone.” She made this comment while she, her young daughter, and I were dining across from a woman who was eating alone.
We moved to middle Tennessee four years ago. It was a necessary move for my family. We needed a change in scenery and opportunities for my husband and myself. Now that we’ve been here for awhile, I figured it’s time for me to intentionally connect with other homeschooling moms in my community. Although we are now in the South, there still doesn’t seem to be many Black homeschooling families connecting in our local homeschool community.
It was late 2017 when I realized my life was a bit out of control. I had added several new things to my plate, but I hadn’t put a plan in place to keep it together. I pretty much operate in a do the next thing that makes sense way which is great most of the time, but during the last quarter of 2017 I knew I had to make some changes.
It’s been said over and over again that moms tend to place others before themselves. It’s also been said that if you don’t take good care of yourself then you can’t be much help to others. For the most part, I agree with the statements.
Last February, I begin teaching online on a whim. I wasn't sure what to expect since I had never taught online, and the last time I put myself in a classroom situation, it wasn't the greatest experience. Honestly, my last public teaching experience made me feel like I would never teach again, and after years of teaching at a local co-op and coming to the conclusion it wasn't my most favorite way to teach either mostly because of class size, I began to wonder if teaching would indeed be a part of my life outside of homeschooling. Now one year later with Outschool, I can happily say that teaching is definitely a part of my life, and I enjoy it.
We're celebrating our anniversary, and I am sharing 15 truths I've learned from 15 years of marriage.
2017 is coming to an end in a few short hours. But before 2018 begins, I wanted to take a moment to share reflections from the year-- from the beginning to the end ... the good and not so great.
When I started my homeschooling mom career, I initially didn't seek out other homeschooling families. I wanted to get started and find my own way before taking in the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of others on the journey. I didn't want to become confused or discouraged because of information overload. After I got my footing, I slowly started to venture out in seek different ways to interact with other homeschooling families.
This list was created as a resource for those moms who, like me, desire to connect with Black parents who have taken full responsibility for their children's education, whether through traditional homeschooling or unschooling.
Using technology in our homeschool has become something I’m more intentional about since my daughters are now in middle and high school. I took several online classes during my college years, and it seems online learning will continue to be an option for learning for years to come. A few years ago, we began using Google classroom to help me to stay organized and to help them continue on the path of independent learning.
Over the years, we have incorporated many ideas, and our tradition formed into doing something new and old together, from taking first-day photos to planning a field trip at the beginning of the school year.
I can't recall a time in my homeschool mom career that I haven't found a way to earn some form of income. Now, some years the amount I earned wasn't much, but other years, I earned enough to cover the lion's share of our homeschool expenses plus more. Read more for ideas to earn income while homeschooling.
Although this time is more optimistic, I still have to intentionally make this season of my life work without becoming overwhelmed and burnt out.
It hasn't been easy for me as their primary teacher with the work I've had to do within and for myself after the accident. Some days I've questioned myself because our homeschool isn't anything like I imagined it to be for this season.
It wasn't one thing that led my husband and me to become a home educating family. As I reflect on our earlier days of homeschooling, I know we had the desire to give our daughters more than we had as children of the 80s and 90s. The more wasn't about stuff, but more about the internal that would make an impact on their choices and lives in the future.
If you’ve had conversations with anyone about homeschooling your child, I am sure one of those conversations has been about socialization.
Have you ever thought, “Am I doing this right?” This refers to homeschooling and giving your children enough. Enough refers to the basics and ALL the ideas that enter your mind as parent and teacher.
This school year, I am using Google classroom to help us stay organized in Algebra 1. Last year, we attempted online learning with BJU Press, but my daughter still needed me to be her primary math teacher versus the online teacher. This year we’re using BJU Press for Algebra 1, but the online portion will be through Google classroom.
Homeschool co-ops or tutorials can provide a needed change of pace for many homeschooling families. These community learning opportunities can provide the primary educator a break in the day to run errands or simply breathe while they can also provide the child the opportunity to use the skills they’ve learned so far in life in a less familiar environment.
A few years ago, we tried out Jenny Phillip’s Good and Beautiful language arts curriculum. I was thrilled to give it a try, and I even came up with a way to keep it organized since I used the downloaded version. I was disappointed that it wasn’t going fit for our family. I thought the all-in-one curriculum would help us reach our language arts goals, but my daughters didn’t find it enjoyable and honestly, it was just too much for me to adjust to make it enjoyable for them.
When I think about what I really what my daughters to academically, math is always on the top of the list. It is an area that many children and adults shy away from, but with these three ingredients for teaching math I have noticed my daughters’ apprehension for more difficult concepts is slowly dissolving.
I thought we had moved passed the stage of direct instruction in reading, but as we approach high school, I have come to realize that direct reading instruction should be revisited in middle school.
Doubt shouldn't hold your home school hostage. You have been given an awesome opportunity to teach your children. Start fresh today and make the most out of the time you have with your children.
Bible studies refresh me. I don’t always have a particular book of the Bible on my heart and mind to study, but I often have the desire to study biblical topics. Studying topics with the help of a Bible study helps me to not overthink how I will spend time in my Bible.
Art is one area of our homeschool that didn’t always make the cut when we first started our learning at home journey. I thought it was “wise” to spend our time reading, writing, and computing. Art would be messy and time consuming so it was best if I left it off the list.
For the first time in our homeschool career, my daughters will take a standardized test.
Choosing to work and homeschool will have challenges just the same as choosing not to work and homeschool. With that being said, I am often asked how to earn income as a homeschooling mother.
Our vision for our homeschool is to help our boys develop a love for learning, so seeing my boys so excited to learn is probably my favorite part of homeschooling.
I am excited about this new to us approach to homeschooling. I feel confident that we will achieve more than we intentionally set out to achieve by being focused for shorter spans of time.
In the last post of the Fitness in Your Homeschool series, I want to share with you some our favorite go-to exercises. These exercises work a variety of muscles and are easy to to incorporate into any part of the day. You don't have to be dressed in your workout gear or P. E. clothes to do them.
In our homeschool, we aren't limited to learning only way. We can incorporate many techniques and resources. Not only can we incorporate many resources and learning styles, we can also blend materials to create a fun way of learning like blending a variety of our academic studies with physical activities.
Need a few reasons to regularly incorporated physical activity in your homeschool? In today's post, I am sharing my top four reasons for helping my daughters stay active.
Need ideas to get moving in your homeschool? I am sharing a few tips on how to get started regularly exercising in your homeschool.
I'm sharing Joy in the Ordinary with my ten-year-old daughter. She's telling the world her ten favorite things about homeschooling.
I thought my daughters would play a sport or participate in some sort of regular physical activity when we started our homeschool journey. I figured if they were participating in a regular activity then I wouldn't have to worry about penciling in fitness.
You're still moving towards your goals as long as you’re doing whatever your time and energy will allow. So go easy on yourself when it comes to your fluctuations in weight or consistency — it’s all part of the process!
I can't say that I am an expert when it comes to Mother's Day, but I can say that I feel at peace about my relationship with this day because I've taken the time to decide what it means for me.
My least favorite part of parenting is being a manager of other humans. I know guiding our children is a part of parenting, but I desire for my daughters to figure out what they need and when they need it without much direction and suggestions from me. I know this can be seen as a lofty expectation. It is more than likely unrealistic for me to think they wouldn’t need any guidance from me, but it was a dream I had and really wanted to be true. Recently, I had to become more of a manager when it came to how and when my daughters use technology for leisure.
Now that my daughters are growing more and more interested in the different platforms like Musical.ly, Instagram, Snapchat, and of course, YouTube, I know that being on the platforms myself is a necessity. I can't help them navigate the platforms if I don't know much about them.
Thanksgiving weekend looked a lot like me being sick laid up in bed while my husband prepared our annual meal based on our oldest daughter's requests. While in bed, I found myself scrolling on Facebook and came across my friend, DeAnn's post about Animal Crossing Pocket Camp.
We haven't shopped for a car in a decade. Our other car was purchased a few months before our youngest was born so car shopping will be an adventure for us.
Recently, we enjoyed Adventures in Odyssey Up in the Air from Focus on the Family. This was our first time listening to an Adventures in Odyssey Christian story. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I wasn’t sure both of my daughters would enjoy the stories since we are in the midst of tween years with teen years right on our heels.
Mother-Daughter Weekend was held at Deer Run Camp outside of Franklin, Tennessee. It is tucked away in nature and seems to be the go to place for summer camp. ☺ When we arrived on the property, I was so happy I had decided to get out of my head and just go. My daughters were on board the moment I told them we would be attending the retreat, and they were counting down the days for us to "camp" out.
Chore lists aren't my favorite. Repeating tasks over and over again isn't my favorite thing to do either. I just want things to get done without me having to say one word. Well, as a parent I know that's not possible, but how I wish it was.
Do you ever feel the urge to pray, but don't always know what to pray. I do. There are moments in my life when I feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to to speak to God.
There were some moments in those early years when I felt like I didn't know whether I was coming or going. I was battling my own internal desires while try to learn new skills as a mom and wife. Now that I have been a mom for over a decade, I can confidently say that I am learning to embrace and love myself while embracing and loving my family. I don't have to battle for the things that I need to refuel while caring for my daughters, husband, and home.
Exploring Tennessee is at the top of my family's to do list. We've been here for a few years now, and the time has come for us to venture out and explore the beauty of Tennessee. Recently, we took time to explore Sevierville, Tennessee. This area is comprised of not only Sevierville, but also Gaitlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Kodak. The area thrives on being family friendly, and there is a wide range of activities to do and places to visit.
Summer is right around the corner, and many of us are making our bucket list of things to do with our children. Since there are many things to do in our area, I decided I would try my hand at making an ultimate list of things to do in Middle Tennessee.
I never knew I would be a mother, but I am glad that I am. Here are my eight reasons why ...
When we travel, we often are in the car. I found it fitting to upcycle the container as an on the road bucket for my girl. My youngest is much like me. She has to take a variety of things to do with her, and although we do have a portable TV the girls have become accustomed to not watching much even on long trips.
Summer is the perfect time to catch up on reading. Several bookstores offer incentives to children who take advantage of summer to read.
I rarely read parenting books. I think the last time I read one was, maybe, in 2012. I am sure the reason for this is because I am OTJT (on the job training) type of person. I learn best by doing. Recently, I was introduced to the book, Are My Kids On Track?, and wanted to read it.
I think it's easy for grown-ups to think that children will get along because all they are doing is playing, but we all know that each child has her own personality, triggers, and quirks.
In order to help my daughters to not fall into the same friendship traps as I did as I child, I am adamant about teaching them these three keys when it relates to friendships:
The I Factor focuses on building a positive relationship with yourself in order to be successful in whatever it is you are called to do. The book does have a biblical perspective and relates key aspects to stories in the Bible.
I can't believe it's been two years since we made the leap of faith to leave everything behind and move to Tennessee. It doesn't seem like as many months have passed because we've found our groove easily in Middle Tennessee.
If you've been a parent for any amount of time, you may have come to the conclusion that parenting can be tough. For some these moments of toughness aren't as frequent while for others parenting may be a constant battle. No matter which camp you fall into it's easy to feel alone on the parenting journey even when there are millions of other parents.
Doing new things with my family is on the top of my priority and goals list. Monster Jam was one of those new things. Last month, we won tickets from the UnboxedMom to attend our first Monster Jam event. At first I didn't know what to expect and neither did the girls.
The girls aren't toddlers anymore, but they both still need for me to engage with them over something other than math.
A photo journal of our ICE! experience in 2016. The theme for this year in Nashville is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Going being the scenes is one of the highlights of taking field trips. Publix allowed our local homeschool group to see all the happenings behind the scene at one of our local stores.
You're God's Girl is a wonderful devotional for girls between ages 8 and 12 to study alone or with their mom. I love being able to use this devotional with my daughters, and they enjoy studying with each other.
For as long as I can remember, I have read the NIV version of the Bible. It was the version that I felt most comfortable reading when I began studying the Bible for myself. I was excited when there was a Journal Edition available in one of the recent review releases from BookLookBloggers.com. I've considered Bible journaling, but I knew I wouldn't be able to journal in my regular Bible.
When I realized that grocery shopping with the girls would be hard for me in their younger years, my husband suggested that I involved them in the process. I heard his suggestion, but I couldn't take it because, honestly, I just wanted to get in and out. I didn't want to take the time to come up with a game plan for grocery shopping. Shoot, I hardly was taking the time to write out a grocery list that made sense to me. Oh, how I am thankful that this area of my life has gotten a ton better and not simply because the girls are older, but because I now have a game plan for grocery shopping.
"Recycle, Reduce, Reuse" is the theme song that ran through my mind often when my girls were younger. It was the catalyst that propelled me to be a bit more green. I will admit that we aren't the most green people, but we do our best to contribute in caring for the environment. Recycling and using less materials such as using Scott® Tube-Free Bath Tissue has helped us to make a more positive impact on the environment.
Thanks to this greater focus on wellness in travel, Maui is a particularly popular destination. The Hawaiian island is known for its beautiful beaches, lush greenery, and crystal-clear waters. That makes it a wellness vacation destination perfect for those looking to relax and unwind.