Jen Merrill's Blog, page 26

March 17, 2014

{GHF Blog Hop} No one told me I’d need these five things to homeschool a twice-exceptional teenager

In under a month I will be the mom of a teenager. I’m going to sit here and reread that sentence a couple thousand times and use the deep, controlled breathing I last used during childbirth. In under a month. I. Will be. The mom. Of. A.Teenager. In…out…in…out…ommmmmmmmm…. In under a month I will be …


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The post {GHF Blog Hop} No one told me I’d need these five things to homeschool a twice-exceptional teenager appeared first on Laughing at Chaos.

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Published on March 17, 2014 03:57

March 10, 2014

Get in the parade

When I was in middle school, about A’s age, my band director shared a piece of advice that has stayed with me ever since. “Get in the parade. Don’t let life pass you by.” It really is a brilliant little tidbit. By keeping it in mind I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone more …

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Published on March 10, 2014 06:10

February 28, 2014

Living in the ten day forecast

Tomorrow is March 1, my very favorite day of the year. It’s the furthest I will be from February for an entire twelve months, and even just thinking about it I instantly get a tiny little spring in my step. It’s as though I’ve been freed from the solitary confinement of winter and am being …

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Published on February 28, 2014 15:54

February 21, 2014

The Life Organizer and self-care

I am no fan of February, not by a long shot. Crap tends to happen to me in that month, from the merely irritating to the sob-producing to the life-altering. March 1 is my favorite day of the year, simply because it is the furthest from February I will be for an entire year. This …

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Published on February 21, 2014 06:14

February 17, 2014

Our homeschool motivation is just out of reach…because reasons

Because reasons. Because reasons is now my go-to explanation for when life goes pear-shaped sideways and things don’t get done. It’s shorthand for “I am in so far over my head that it would take a couple hours plus at least one bottle of wine to even give you the backstory and frankly I am …

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Published on February 17, 2014 06:34

February 13, 2014

From tinkerer to engineer with DiscoverE

From about age two, A’s questions were not “why?,” but “how’s it work?” He would never accept a throw-off answer, but only an in-depth, well-researched answer with as much detail as possible. When he was three I thought I would need a PhD in astrophysics to tell him bedtime stories. I never knew what “how’s …

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Published on February 13, 2014 06:45

February 10, 2014

February 5, 2014

Many cloaks in the closet

I love my new job. I’ve been working a few weeks now and I am very happy there. I like the people, I like the work, I like the atmosphere, I like the flexible part-time hours, I like the energy there. It’s a very good fit for me and I am so, so blessed to …

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Published on February 05, 2014 06:16

February 3, 2014

Monochrome season

No one talks about it, but there’s a fifth season. We all know spring, summer, fall, and winter. But there is a fifth, stealthy season that we all know exists but no one acknowledges. Today starts monochrome season. It’s the season thatcallsitself winter but those of us living in a true wintry climate know better. …

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Published on February 03, 2014 07:23

January 31, 2014

United in Orange…and Super Bowl Bread

It’s finally here. Super Bowl weekend. Usually I don’t give a damn and might maybe situate myself near a TV to catch commercials, but this year it’s different. The Broncos are playing, it’s permission for me to crash and not do a thing for several hours on Sunday, a real musician is singing the National …

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Published on January 31, 2014 11:14