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Darcy of Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Darcy (Mom). Mom enjoys reading, coffee, movies.
- Jesse (Dad). Dad is an engineer and likes making his own beer in his down time.
- Kids all love books, dinosaurs, superheros, bugging each other - the usual.
- J Man
- Mr. E
- Ducky
- Miss A
- Sadly, no pets. Ours passed away.
Laura of New Mexico
We are an animal-loving family. Five dogs, guinea pig, hedgehog, three mice and fish.
Lisa K. of Farmington, New Mexico
My husband and I have been married over 22 years and have 4 children - one grown dancing princess and 3 teenage soccer warriors. My husband sells toilet paper (no kidding) and gets really excited about providing non-toxic cleaning chemicals to businesses and his own family. I homeschool our children and also work at a dance studio and teach tumbling to littles, and proof and edit books, and sing at church... Our three oldest progressed from homeschooling to taking dual-credit courses at our local community college. Our youngest, HD, is a hands-on learner with deep thoughts and a thousand questions. We enjoy movies, board games, all things soccer, and good food. We are also actively involved in our local church in almost any area you can think of!
How do you Timberdoodle?
Darcy: Oh gosh...I've been homeschooling for 5 years and can't remember how I heard about you guys, probably just in the course of my research. (I'm one of those people that researches everything before making a decision.) We use your Spelling You See books daily for Sons 1 & 2. My second son likes using your Math Wrap Ups. And my youngest (who is teething) cannot live with those Zoli Sticks to chew on. Those things are amazing!
Laura: I found out about Timberdoodle while doing an internet search for homeschool bundles.
Lisa: I don’t know if it was an online ad or a catalog. I peruse through your offerings and dream about the many wonderful products you offer. I am familiar with many of the options as we have homeschooled for over 15 years... I really appreciate all of the engaging hands-on additions that you provide and hope to be able to get a full kit for my youngest.
Tell us about a typical school day at your house.
Darcy: I wish I had the Pinterest/Instagram worthy, pretty answer for you...but the truth is, I am a hot mess. I just came off a 6 week "break" where I was recovering from surgery. My husband took a leave of absence from work to care for me and the kids. He took over school...and made it look effortless!
I've been back at it for a couple of weeks now and am really struggling to regain my footing. I try to get underway by 9:00 a.m. every day. We rotate through subjects...so for example on Monday I'll cover math, language arts, read aloud storytime, pre-reading for my youngest son. But on Tuesday, we'll cover math, science, history, pre-reading and read aloud story time. So, it's varies.
Chores are whenever we squeeze them in. I will be candid...I am fortunate (privileged?) to have house help that comes once a week and cleans. And that helps immensely. With meals...I don't mind breakfast or lunch so much...but when dinnertime rolls around I am just DONE with it all and want to dump out a box of cereal on the floor and be done with it all. I don't actually *do* that, I just feel like it. Lately, I've been trying to be proactive and utilize my slow cooker or Instant Pot for dinnertime meals.
Laura: We try to cover all subjects every day. We typically start working between 9:00 - 10:00 and work for three or four hours Monday through Friday.
Lisa: I am up before my oldest two leave for dual-credit classes. I have quiet time (and coffee!) and then wake my youngest between 8:00 and 9:00. We usually sit at the kitchen counter and do Bible and then math. Food comes into play at some point - he is usually it hungry right away. He gets a 15-minute break and I start working around the house or cooking food for later. We then do history and science together, take a lunch break and then do some language arts. We go over what he has left to finish for the day. I write down on a large white board chores for the day as well as the meal. Older brothers return from classes and I head off to work. Hubby gets home and helps with dinner prep and I join them a little later.
If we peeked inside your home on a random Wednesday afternoon, what would we see?
Darcy: Me stress eating chocolate in the garage, while the kids watch a movie. Only sorta kidding. ;)
Laura: A pretty normal day in our house. Studies.
Lisa: You might see school books strewn across the counter with some coffee or kombucha nearby. Possibly art supplies or paints out on the dining table - and 2 large dogs lying on the couches.
If you could take your family anywhere you wanted for vacation where would you go?
Darcy: Disneyland or Legoland
Lisa: To an ocean beach. Hawaii in fact.
What books have you read over and over?
Darcy:
- Pride and Prejudice
- At Home in Mitford
- Austenland
- Cinder & Ella
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Lisa:
- The Bible
- How to Really Love Your Child by Ross Campbell
- Love Does by Bob Goff
- Little Women
- The Mystery of History
- George Mueller
What dietary challenges does your family face?
Darcy: Nothing too serious; my oldest has a mild peanut allergy. He just can't eat anything with peanuts, but the rest of us are free to do so.
Lisa: We avoid red dye for our youngest. We are trying to eat less processed food and incorporate more whole foods.
What tips do you have for surviving a hard day?
Darcy: Cup of tea and a good book. Knowing when to cut my losses, if it's a really rough school day, and let school out "early" for everyone's sake.
Lisa: Have a quiet time first thing - devotions, prayer, worship. Have coffee and dark chocolate (but not too much caffeine - that can make it worse). Breathe. Take a time out for yourself. Write down 10 things you are thankful for. Remember - This too shall pass.
How does your family celebrate birthdays?
Darcy: Low key birthday party at home with friends and family.
Lisa: We decorate the house and leave it up for a week. Dinner of choice, homemade cake, presents and fun.
What have you done recently for the first time?
Darcy: Had major surgery! That was a first for me.
Lisa: Taken a live online class for myself.
What’s your favorite school day lunch?
Darcy: Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.
Lisa: Salad.
How would you manage if you had to homeschool without the internet?
Darcy: Ha! I'd last about a week I think.
Lisa: We would go back to using only books and visit the library a lot.
What tips do you have for other families?
Darcy: For crying out loud, chill out! Your 5-year-old doesn't need to do ALL THING THINGS! Let them be little and quit rushing school and learning.
Lisa: Choosing the right curriculum for your family depends on your child(ren)’s learning style(s) as well as your teaching style. What works for one child might not work for the next and what works for one family might not be the right fit for yours.
Tell us about your family’s favorite games.
Darcy: Besides driving each other crazy? ;) We like Bananagrams, Operation, Connect 4. The adults like playing Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride.
Lisa: Settlers of Catan, Sequence.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in your homeschool that you called a “science experiment”?
Darcy: Ugh...grown these triops...like little prehistoric sea bugs...which were gross enough until they started EATING EACH OTHER (!!!) and then there was only one left. So gross.
