reprinted from a Timberdoodle catalog I wish I could say that when we settled on a name for our farmette that it was strictly ‘spiritual’ in nature. On Christ the solid rock we do stand, but our farm name was the result of a more literal bent. Our acreage is, for the most part, glacial till. Translated, that means that we are situated on a gravel pit, with just enough soil to make it interesting. To get anything to grow here we need to dig a large hole, removing the ‘native’ soil, and replacing it with topsoil enriched with mushroom...

Reprinted from a Timberdoodle CatalogHow you spend your money reveals so much about you. Do you buy what you want or what you need? Do you scrimp on others but indulge yourself? Conversely, do you buy lavishly for others and only the dregs for yourself? Do you eat out often while paying the minimum on your credit card? Do you have a plan for getting out of debt? Well, maybe these questions are too personal, but your children are silent witnesses to your spending habits. What is the take-home message they are receiving? Larry Burkett maintains that each one of us...

Reprinted from a 1990 Timberdoodle Catalog That very word can strike terror into the hearts of both children and moms! Children would rather play than work, and moms sometimes find it easier to do the job themselves, than to plead with a child to undertake that responsibility. Here are some ideas that have worked in our family. 1. Inherent in the assigning of each job, is the need to be explicit in your desires. In our family, when a child assumes a new chore, she is instructed on how to execute it. This often means Dan or I must take...

(Originally printed in a 1991 catalog) [Our ages in 1991. Joy - 9. Hope - 8. Grace - 7. Abel - 3.] Many moms have called and written asking for a schedule of what a typical day is like at the Timberdoodle. I hope they haven’t been too disappointed to discover that there are few average days here at the Timberdoodle. None-the-less, here is a thumb-nail sketch of what we try to accomplish every day. 6:00 AM Rise and shine! Well, better make that just rise. As in all families, there are morning people and there are those who don’t...

Originally posted in a 1992 Timberdoodle Catalog. If you have been home teaching for any length of time, friends, relatives, and strangers have undoubtedly asked you, “how do you do it all?” Oftentimes, the implication is not only why would you do it all, but can you possibly do it all properly. What is “all”? When we get this question it is referring to housework, schoolwork, and our business. If you are new to home education, let me share some ideas that have worked for us. In the area of housework, let me share my basic rule of thumb: if...