About a month ago, I flipped open a book I’d requested at the library. The front flap introduced itself like this: “Most of what you think you know about writing is useless. It’s the harmful debris of your education—a mixture of half-truths, myths and, and false assumptions that prevents you from writing well.” I had [...]

“The Boros are kind of like the military, the peacekeepers, the law folk. Their founder was Razia, an angel…” This is the kind of thing my kid says these days, as he follows me around, talking. He’s smitten with the card game, Magic the Gathering, and his conversations are pretty much all Magic, all the time. [...]

Just another quirky example of homeschool writing. That title, and that caption, is an experiment. See, if you type the phrase homeschool writing into Google, you will quickly be given a page of hits that I do not much like. You’ll get a whole page–and then at least part of another–with nothing more than writing curriculum. [...]

Mr. T’s homeschool conference loot: a box of 20 brilliant, blood-curdling books …I have a favor to ask. When I gave my How Do Kids Really Learn to Write workshop at the HSC conference on Friday, we had standing room only at the end, which was a thrill for me. Parents seem hungry for what [...]

1. your comments on wonderfarm’s birthday post. I didn’t want to add another post because it was a hoot to have so many of you show up and chat with me. Thank you, especially those of you who don’t usually leave comments. You made me smile at my computer screen. Many, many times. 2. house guests. [...]

Photo by Lulu. She and her friend made these this afternoon. Four kinds of cupcakes, four kinds of frosting. Because this is what 16-year-old girls do when they’re bored on a summer afternoon. Today is my blog’s birthday. Four years old. Time for a party. Last year on wonder farm’s birthday, I got all maudlin and retrospective about [...]