8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2025-2026

Bounce a ball. Throw a ball. Bat a ball. Catch a ball. Kick a ball. Spike a ball. Repeat. This is the rhythm of my youngest son's days. He’s an extrovert’s extrovert who never gets tired of a big crowd. He’s a champion of others and a loyal team player. Loves music, watching movies, and pet-sitting. Not a fan of bedtime or most board games. Hates Brussels sprouts, but is happy to put buffalo sauce on almost anything else. Much to my make-most-things-from-scratch mantra, Doritos are his love language. But if those are in short supply, he’ll also settle for your undivided attention. He may be the smallest, but he’s got a big heart!

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2025-2026

Five more years — that's all the time I have left as a homeschool mom. How is that even possible? With my oldest two launched and pursuing their own career paths, and my middle two taking several dual-enrollment classes from a Christian University, most of my efforts will be directed toward my youngest son and his individual learning.

That said, there are still a few subjects/resources that all three of my remaining at-home kids will work on together. 

Join the Overwhelmed Mom Launch Team!

Calling all bibliophiles, overwhelmed moms, fans of smooth days, folks who can hype, and anyone craving more quiet in their lives!

Perhaps you've heard that I've written a new book. It's called Overwhelmed Mom: Quiet the Chaos, Mind What Matters, and Enjoy Your Life Again. It doesn't hit shelves until Tuesday, August 5th, but from now until then, word about it needs to spread like wildfire. So, I'm gonna need your help in fanning the flames.

Would you be willing to link internet arms with me and join my launch team? Pretty please!

5 Hearty Recipes for Soup Season

"You can make soup out of anything!" This is my wintertime mantra. 

Since my family doesn't love eating leftovers, soup is my Go-To Nextover--my simple way to put a new shine on the scraps from a previous meal.

When I'm pressed for time, I can toss some leftovers, a quart or so of broth, and the veggies to make a mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, and celery) into a pot, and have a hot and hearty dinner on the table in a half hour. It's like magic!

Favorite Read Alouds & Read Alones in 2024

In an essay for Collected Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote that books should be like mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Certain books should reflect the reader's life, others should give him a peek into someone else's life, and still, others should fully immerse a person in a brand new experience by allowing him to enter the story.