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Angela R. of Victorville, California
- Mathias, Mister Squishy, youngest, special needs, 4-year-old
- Jealynn, our superstar, a gift handed to us by my sister when she couldn't be a mother.
- Joslyn, my right hand lady, and preteen who has the super power to read
- Dad, Chris, our hero, Air Force vet and aviation integration specialist who loves his Batman.
- Mom, wrangler of the crazy and heart of gold, lover of the arts
- Of course cannot forget our furthest kiddos: Mr. Gino, diva, and sleeper of the days.
Candace of Orange, California
Hello! We are the Regan family! We have a dad, mom, brother and sister.
- Dad is the hardest worker we know and he supports our family with all his heart.
- Mom loves to stay home to teach us and take care of us.
- Brother is in kindergarten this year, he really likes to go to Co-op with his friends. His favorite subject in homeschool is math!
- Sister is still very little. She mostly likes to play with her babies but really loves the fun games that come with brother’s Timberdoodle kit.
Elisabeth C. of Torrence, California
- Jose is Dad and works in the helicopter industry.
- Elisabeth is Mom and she plays piano.
- Leah is in kindergarten and is a ballerina.
- Judah is a toddler who loves trains.
Nat of Mira Loma, California
- Husband, computer engineer
- 2 girls
- 1 retired grandma
- and a rabbit
How do you Timberdoodle?
Angela: Timberdoodle started us on our 3-year homeschool journey. Was one of the reason we fell in love and continue to this day. Timberdoodle allowed my struggling reader to learn in a way that was perfect for her and my soaring reader to soar beyond herself exploring the wonders of education in so many ways.
Regan Family: We love Timberdoodle. Our cousin first told us about how much their family loves it. So we decided to check it out for our first year homeschooling. It looked like so much fun for a little brain that still wants fun while learning! Brother’s favorite is Math-U-See and the Little Red Riding Hood game. But Mom loves Developing the Early Learner. And Sister just likes to make a mess of it all while she explores.
Elisabeth: We heard about Timberdoodle through our charter school. We use the products for most of our school work. We love our geography books and Math-U-See.
Nat: Love everything Timberdoodle offers. For the longest time I was picking and choosing different books to create my own curriculum then I found Timberdoodle and apparently we had the same ideas!!! It was love at first sight!
Tell us about a typical school day at your house.
Angela: We are laid-back off-schedule homeschoolers but on average we do 3 hours of our basics, math and English language arts, while on Friday we explore science, history, and are in a hands on creative approach. Chores are done first thing when they wake up with school starting after a little bit of play and a full lunch.
Regan Family: Our day is pretty simple but every day is different. First thing we wake up, relax and then have breakfast! Then, after Dad goes to work, the rest of us get ready for the day. Once we are all ready we do some school. Every day we make sure to do math, reading and writing. Then on other days we add some games, science, history and other stuff. But the best days are field trip days! We are usually done with school before lunch so we have lots of time to play. And then Mom cooks a very good dinner and Dad gets home just in time. After that we either play a game or watch a movie together before bed. Sometimes, if Dad doesn’t work the next day, we have a special movie night. Dad puts the projector and big screen up, we make popcorn and sometimes have ice cream. But the ultimate is when we bring a mattress in the living room and have a sleepover movie night and we get to fall asleep to the movie!
Elisabeth: We take Dad to work first thing in the morning. Then it’s breakfast time. Next we clean the house up and prepare for school. We usually start around 9:00 a.m. Start with pledges, patriotic song and prayer. Calendar time. Then Bible class, All About Spelling, early learning book, All About Reading, Math-U-See, social studies and science. We alternate between journaling and handwriting. All this happens before lunch which is between 11:30 and 12:00. Then nap/rest time. We read in the afternoon and play a lot.
Nat: Our days differ from one to the other. We usually do a devotional, followed by history, then spelling, science, then math, we do grammar, writing. We are a part of a homeschool co-op so we prepare for that too.
If we peeked inside your home on a random Wednesday afternoon, what would we see?
Angela: Two little ladies laying on the floor learning while the little one runs around then.
Regan Family: If you peeked in on us on a random Wednesday afternoon you would probably see an empty house, hopefully a tidy one! We are usually at co-op on Wednesday afternoon. If you peeked in on us there we would either be at a cooking, history, yoga, Bible stories or preschool class, depending on who you peek on. Hehe. I bet, no matter who you peek in on, that we are smiling and having a great time with friends. But Sister might be having a meltdown if we are on our way home. That’s when she takes a nap.
Elisabeth: Resting, reading, playing, dinner prep, outside time.
Nat: That’s our co-op day, so in the afternoon, the kids practice their piano.
If you could take your family anywhere you wanted for vacation where would you go?
Angela: Europe for the learning and relaxing experience in one.
Regan Family: If we could go to Walt Disney World that would be a dream come true! Mom and Dad grew up going to Disneyland and that is one of our favorite places to go together especially at Christmas time. What an adventure it would be to see Walt Disney World. We hear it is so much bigger than Disneyland. Sister loves Anna and Elsa so we are sure she would love to meet them. And Brother is getting so tall he would have a great time on so many new rides. He is getting so courageous. But overall, the memories are always the best part, even if vacations don’t go as planned.
Elisabeth: On a Disney cruise.
Nat: Italy.
What books have you read over and over?
Angela: Night by Eli Wiesel
Regan Family: Oh gosh, so many. Brother loved Pat the Bunny as a baby and now Sister loves it even though it’s a bit torn. Will You Be My Sunshine? is Mom’s special book to Brother. I Love You More and More is Mom’s special book to Sister. We read those all the time. Oh, also, I Love You Stinky Face, Dragons Love Tacos, There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, Green Eggs and Ham, The Little Engine That Could, and Little Toot. I guess we have a lot. Hopefully more to add as Brother and Sister learn to read.
Elisabeth:
- The Mitford series
- The Count of Monte Cristo
What dietary challenges does your family face?
Angela: My youngest has special needs and an angry GI that is caused by food intolerances. In our home we do not buy unsafe foods for him and cook more fresh items.
Regan Family: Our family has semi-strict dietary restrictions. If Brother, Sister and Mom have too much bread, pasta and sugar it’s not good. We really like spaghetti squash instead of pasta. We sweeten things with honey or real maple syrup. We wrap our burgers in lettuce. It’s so tasty. But on special occasions we each get to pick one treat. It’s really not so bad but it took some getting used to.
Nat: We’re plant based.
What tips do you have for surviving a hard day?
Angela: Take time for you, even if its 5 minutes standing outside in the cool air
Regan Family: When we are having a hard day sometimes we just need to stop, take a few deep breaths or do a little bit of yoga. But sometimes it doesn’t work. Prayers help on those days. The best thing to remember is that we are together and that is always better than not being together.
Elisabeth: Prayer. Lots of prayer.
Nat: Philippians 4:13
What’s something your child has done that thrilled your soul?
Angela: My niece survived a life of domestic violence. Still celebrating her days today knowing that life is still beautiful through it all.
Regan Family: Mom here, hello! Their are so many things to choose from. Brother and Sister thrill my soul with each little smile they give me. However, one day, after brother learned about responsibility, he chose to do the dishes after dinner without being asked. When he was asked what made him think to do the dishes, he said, “Because I want to help and I love you.”
Elisabeth: Started writing little love notes to me and my husband.
Nat: Worked on a song by herself.
How does your family celebrate birthdays?
Angela: Usually something small with no local family.
Regan Family: Birthdays are so fun! Mom and Dad like to keep their birthdays simple but Brother and Sister usually have a party. We invite all of our friends and family and celebrate all day long.
Elisabeth: We hang balloons or streamers in the bedroom doorway for them to walk through when they get up. Cake and presents with family.
Nat: Party.
What have you done recently for the first time?
Angela: Went back to school after 12 years.
Regan Family: A few months ago we took a trip to Texas for the first time. For Brother and Sister it was their first time on an airplane, it was great!
Elisabeth: Flown in a helicopter.
What’s your favorite school day lunch?
Angela: Chopped fruit salad and chicken wraps.
Regan Family: Our favorite school day lunch is leftover Chinese food. We really like orange chicken and noodles.
Nat: Burritos.
How would you manage if you had to homeschool without the internet?
Angela: Hands-on creativity and work books from Timberdoodle.
Regan Family: We would manage just fine. Most of our homeschool is done without the internet but if we needed more information I guess we would go to the library like Mom and Dad used to do.
Nat: The library.
What tips do you have for other families?
Regan Family: Enjoy the journey. Life is unpredictable and crazy, it’s never social media perfect. But you can find special moments that will get you through the tough times. Hang on to those special moments because life moves too quickly.
Nat: If God brings you to it, HE will bring you through it!
Tell us about your family’s favorite games.
Angela: We are weekend gamers. My girls love Xbox games and my husband loves all sorts.
Regan Family: Our family’s favorite game is Disney’s Eye Found It card game. Each player gets a few cards and the rest of the pile goes in the middle of the table. The cards on the table have a scene with a lot of different items on them and characters from the classic movies. The cards in our hands have a specific item we need to find. The first person to find all of their items wins!
Nat: Monopoly and Phase 10
If you could sum up your homeschool style or philosophy in one phrase what would it be?
Regan Family: Go with the flow.
Nat: Classical.
What extracurricular activities is your family involved in?
Regan Family: Our family is exploring what each person wants to do for extracurricular activities. Brother has tried soccer, yoga, cooking and guitar but hasn’t found a favorite yet. Sister likes art now but will probably do gymnastics or something where she can be a little wild.
Nat: Piano, basketball, choir, scout, violin, soccer, chimes.
What’s your favorite school day breakfast?
Regan Family: Our family’s favorite school day breakfast is pancakes but mom says they take a lot of time so we don’t have them very often.
Nat: Bread and almond butter and a smoothie.
What do you do for fun as a family?
Regan Family: We do lots of things for fun as a family. We like to ride bikes with dad, bake cookies with mom, have dance parties with brother, tea parties with sister. But one of our special things is to go get donuts and hot cocoa and take it to our very special spot on the beach to listen to the waves, at night time.
Nat: Hike, rollerblading, bike riding.
How do you continue to educate yourself?
Regan Family: We read, watch shows on National Geographic, we talk to other people about things and we may even go exploring to learn new things.
Nat: Attend conferences and homeschool convention.
What are favorite healthy snacks at your house?
Regan Family: Our favorite healthy snacks are bananas and tangerines. We also enjoy eating from a veggie tray but mostly the broccoli and snap peas. Sometimes sister just eats the dip off of her peas. Brother and sister also really like to snack on olives, they put them on the end of their fingers and then eat them one by one.
Nat: Plantain chips, yogurt.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in homeschooling?
Regan Family: The biggest challenge we have overcome homeschooling so far is just learning how to do it all together. Setting up the time for it, learning that Mom can also be a teacher. Learning that Brother sometimes needs a review and sometimes it seems he learns magically without help. And Sister needs some attention too and like to be a part of it.
Nat: Teaching my kids how to read.
What’s your favorite in-a-pinch dinner option?
Regan Family: Our very favorite, in-a-pinch dinner option is Trader Joe’s frozen orange chicken with either frozen fried rice or chow mein. We always have this in our freezer waiting for that busy day!
Nat: Rice and lentil
Share a favorite organizational tip.
Regan Family: Keep the things you use daily in one basket to make it easy to pull out. Make sure the pencil pouch has a pencil, eraser, scissors, glue stick, sharpener and colored pencils, the basics for kindergarten, all in one spot.
Nat: Keep the library books in a basket.
What do you do for P.E. in your homeschool?
Regan Family: We go outside to play. We pass a ball to each other or go to the park. We have yoga at Co-op and we might do soccer again.
Nat: Basketball and soccer.
Tell us something interesting about your local area.
Regan Family: In our local area if you turn left once you get to the main street you drive through the hills, if you turn right you drive through the city. We like to turn left but mostly turn right because that’s where we go shopping.
Nat: We can go to the mountain for snow in 1 hour and go to the beach in an hour!!!
