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Talia from Ohio
Mom and Dad
Two kids
Four animals
Chrissy of Ohio
- Parents: C & J
- Kiddos: A, W & O
J works for a local township and C stays home to homeschool the kids. C & J enjoy playing music and the kiddos enjoy dance and theater. We have 1 dog and 1 kitty.
Lisa of Ohio
The Papa of the house works so this Gramma can homeschool 2 of our grandchildren, Rowan & Riley. We love to do outdoor stuff, geocaching, reading and putting things together. I do all variety of needlework, and love crafts so there's plenty of that to go around, too. The boys love most of the curriculum we get from Timberdoodle and can't wait to open the box each year after we finish out current studies.
Krystle of Ohio
Sis, Nate, Bree, Auddy, and JT. We love costuming and sewing. Dance, theatre, art, and music are huge in our household. We also love soccer, computer coding, small engine repair, and car work.
How do you Timberdoodle?
Talia: Found Timberdoodle through a Google search.
Chrissy: I love getting ideas from the Timberdoodle catalog; there are so many neat games and additions to our curriculum plus the core subjects have solid recommendations as well. I first learned of Timberdoodle at the Midwest Great Homeschool Convention several years ago. Right now we are really enjoying the My First Story Writing Book by Usborne for grade 2. Such a fun and creative way to get my elementary student interested in writing! We also love the Evan Moor writing and the All About Spelling. Every day we do our "Three R's" and these make it very straightforward!
Lisa: My second son and his wife started looking into homeschool curriculum for their oldest nearly 10 years ago. They highly recommended Timberdoodle and we agreed. This is used in both households. Our favorite things are the S.T.E.M. products. Starting with the ThinkPlay blocks, Plus-Plus, Lazer Maze to GraviTrax. I try to schedule these out, but they beg to build and play with them daily.
Krystle: I heard about Timberdoodle through a homeschool group.
Tell us about a typical school day at your house.
Talia: Breakfast, chores, school work, lunch, extra activities, dinner, relax, bed.
Chrissy: Every day is different for us. Some days we start after breakfast; some days we start late afternoon. We always do reading, writing and math, plus lots of reading. We also cover history and science through unit studies. Chores vary by when things come up that need done; when I need help with dishes, we do them. When the laundry is dry, we fold and put away. Each day flows differently. We have found that to work better for us than a strict routine. Meals are planned out a week in advance- busy days involve crockpot meals and other days we cook each dinner from scratch. Eating healthy and meal planning are important for our family's health.
Lisa: We start at 10:00 a.m. with some Bible study and prayer before we cover reading/language arts and math. We have a lunch break and play time between 12:00 and 1:30 and finish with history, art, STEM, and other things vary by the day. We are finished by 3:30 on a slow day. I start with a schedule that I have posted on the cabinet door and we get everything done for that day most of the time. Not always. Chores are before and after school time. Meals follow. Usually runs pretty smooth, but not always.
Krystle: We start at 8:00 a.m. and cover all major subjects, art and music. Chores are done after all schoolwork is completed. Breakfast is made before school starts, lunch is made by one each day for the family at noon, and dinner is made either before school starts in the crockpot or after school is done.
If we peeked inside your home on a random Wednesday afternoon, what would we see?
Talia: Wednesdays are our family day. We usually go out on Wednesdays and don't do any school work.
Chrissy: Lots of books, wooden building blocks, Legos, dolls, and crafting supplies in various states of use. Snacks on the counter, laundry being folded on the couch. Hopefully some outside play as well.
Lisa: On Wednesdays, we have an early lunch and a lighter day because we go to Awana that evening. Supper is earlier too. So, Riley and I would be working in his All About Reading workbook and Rowan would be doing his math or geography.
Krystle: Nothing because we are at our co-op. However, any other day, you would see dance practice going on, vocal lessons, and soccer drills being done.
If you could take your family anywhere you wanted for vacation where would you go?
Talia: Disneyland.
Chrissy: Disney Carribbean cruise.
Lisa: We have always wanted to go to Disney World.
Krystle: A beach on the Gulf of Mexico.
What books have you read over and over?
Chrissy:
- Dr. Seuss books
- the Bible
Lisa:
- Little House on the Prairie
- Curious George
- Dr. Seuss
The boys love them!
Krystle:
- Dairy of Anne Frank
- Of Mice and Men
- Caps for Sale
- Harry Potter series
- Maze Runner series
- Magic Tree House series
- Dr. Seuss books
What dietary challenges does your family face?
Chrissy: We like to eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies and cook from scratch plant-based meals. This is time consuming, so planning is key. Sometimes it is hard to fit it all in.
Lisa: No one likes many of the same foods the same way. I try to hit middle ground as often as possible, but sometimes someone will have to deal with what we're having or on some occasions, will get a separate meal. For example, Riley hates taco salad. If I'm making it for the family, I'll make some cheese quesadillas for him.
Krystle: We have multiple food allergies and my one child has Hashimoto's. We are limited on the foods we can have in the house.
What tips do you have for surviving a hard day?
Talia: Coffee.
Chrissy: Drink coffee and lots of water, give yourself grace, and remember each morning is a fresh start and nothing hard lasts forever.
Lisa: Music. I love music! That is always soothing for me.
Krystle: Take a minute away from everything.
What’s something your child has done that thrilled your soul?
Chrissy: Writing me love notes and giving them to me almost every day in handmade envelopes.
Lisa: We have a librarian they love that's battling cancer. They haven't seen her in a few months. When we saw her last month they both went running to her, gave huge hugs telling her how much they missed her and have been praying for her. She looked at me, with a big smile and said she just loves my boys.
Krystle: Read without needing much help.
How does your family celebrate birthdays?
Talia: Experiences over gifts.
Chrissy: Parties with our friends and family.
Lisa: We have a family gathering for a little party with a theme, games, cake and ice-cream, the whole works. It is a special day!
Krystle: With family. We eat a dinner together and go to something fun.
What have you done recently for the first time?
Lisa: Took the boys to the Neil Armstrong Museum. Great place. They didn't want to leave.
Krystle: Built a desk.
What’s your favorite school day lunch?
Talia: Hummus and veggies.
Krystle: Any type of roll up.
How would you manage if you had to homeschool without the internet?
Talia: Use our books while at home and find other resources through other families.
Krystle: Very easily. We already do a mixture of work on and off-line.
What tips do you have for other families?
Talia: Have fun, don't over plan, and don't compare your kids to others.
Krystle: To keep trying and if something doesn't work for your family or child, don't be afraid to switch it up.
Tell us about your family’s favorite games.
Talia: Mancala and Uno
Krystle: Guess Who
What is your exercise routine and how often do you do it?
Talia: Getting outside to hike trails or take a bike ride.
Krystle: We ride bikes in the summer, do circuit training in the winter, swim, play at the gym, and run the indoor track. We workout daily.
What did you do just for fun with your kids recently?
Talia: Face painting.
Krystle: Went to a candy factory.
What would you name your boat if you had one?
Talia: Sinker
Krystle: Fly High
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
Talia: Woodworking.
Krystle: Playing the piano.
What’s the last recipe you looked up?
Talia: Dairy-free pumpkin bread.
Krystle: Keto fudge.
If you could sum up your homeschool style or philosophy in one phrase what would it be?
Talia: Eclectic.
Krystle: Organized chaos.
What do your kids want to be when they grow up?
Talia: Architect and veterinarian.
Krystle: Lawyer, professional dancer and then, studio owner, vet, and firefighter or mechanic
What extracurricular activities is your family involved in?
Talia:
- Gym and Swim at our local YMCA
- art classes
- STEM classes
Krystle:
- dance
- voice
- 4-H
- theatre
- choir
- youth group
- homeschool group
- music lessons
If you have a moment to yourself what do you like to do?
Talia: Make a cup of tea and read, stitch, or crochet.
Krystle: Read.
What’s your favorite school day breakfast?
Talia: Overnight oats.
Krystle: Eggs.
What’s the best homeschool field trip you’ve ever been on?
Talia: Our local fruit farm was an awesome field trip. We got to learn about harvesting apples and other crops, plant life cycles, tour their orchards, and taste some fresh apples and cider.
Krystle: Amish country trio.
How do you continue to educate yourself?
Talia: Teaching has refreshed my memory on things I've forgotten I learned about. We love unit studies and I'm always learning new things.
Krystle: I am currently taking classes online.
What are favorite healthy snacks at your house?
Talia: Hummus and veggies.
Krystle: Fruit and raw vegetables.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in homeschooling?
Talia: Adjusting learning styles between kids.
Krystle: Dyslexia.
List 3 frivolous things you are enjoying right now.
Talia: Some of my favorite but non-necessary things would be Starbucks iced coffee, plants, and hand made ceramic coffee cups.
Krystle: Drawing, designing costumes, and singing
What’s your favorite in-a-pinch dinner option?
Talia: Toasted tuna sandwiches.
Krystle: Eggs with waffles.
What’s the strangest place you’ve done school?
Talia: Car, park, doctor's office.
Krystle: In the hospital waiting room.
Share a favorite organizational tip.
Talia: Focus on one thing at a time so nothing is overwhelming. Purge and donate often.
Krystle: Color coding my kids' schedules.
What do you do for P.E. in your homeschool?
Talia: Walking, bike rides, and homeschool classes at the YMCA.
Krystle: Go to the gym and swim.
Share a favorite inspirational quote.
Krystle: Dance like nobody is watching.
