The 2024 TUH Gift Guide for Book Lovers

Recently, I searched online for Ferrari-themed novelties for my middle son. I didn't expect to find many. Boy, was I unprepared for the number of ideas that began to pop up? Turns out, he's not the only one preoccupied with a certain Italian racing car company. I snagged a hat, a shirt, and a handful of stickers. Admittedly, I don't love Ferrari--a car is a car to me. Not better or worse than any other. But I love my son, and he loves Ferrari. So, I make it a point to invest in his passion in order to invest in him. Sometimes, I need a little help, though. I need to be pointed in a good direction. 

Brown Paper Package Back-to-Homeschool Party, Moms Only

Homeschool moms are the unsung heroes of education. Unlike classroom teachers, we don't get a salary for our efforts. We get no holiday pay, sick days, or a fat 401K at the journey's end. But what we do get is each other. We're a tight-knit group--a sisterhood of moms who understand the many wins and losses of this unconventional schooling choice and have both the victory laps and the battle scars to prove it.

11th Grade Homeschool Curriculum 2024-2025

My middle son is a reader, writer, and indoor enthusiast. He's our resident introvert who needs plenty of downtime in the day. But don’t let his quiet fool you. He often brings the jazz hands in big groups. He loves classic cars, classical music, and classic literature. If you ever need a fun fact about Formula 1 racing or the Roman Empire, he’s your guy. Serve him chili, chili mac, or chili dogs, and he’ll love you forever. These days, he’s never too far from a thought-provoking podcast or a bench press. Conscientious driver. Closet comedian. He may be the middle child, but he’s anything but middle to us.

10th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2024-2025

 

My fourth born had an extraordinary 9th-grade year! In the past nine months, he was hand-picked by a baseball coach to pitch for the local high school baseball team, won the National Congregational Art Competition for our district, flew to Washington, D.C., to see his colored pencil sketch hanging in the US Capital, learned how to do 540 jump on the downhill ski slope, traveled with the whole family to Branson, MO for an unforgettable vacation, and went with some youth group pals to St. Louis to spread the love of Jesus to inner city youth and displaced/houseless adults. His 2023-2024 will be a tough act to follow, to say the least.

7th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2024-2025

As the last born of the family, my youngest has the advantage of a relaxed homeschool mom. I've experienced more than my share of both hits and misses over the years and realize that a great education doesn't require me to find the "perfect" curriculum, the "perfect" schedule, or the "perfect" plan. (Spoiler alert: in the realm of homeschooling, "perfect" only exists on Instagram.)