We don’t always homeschool…. we love our local public school too…. but this year I’m homeschooling my boys and we are reading this book for history. We are at about 300 A.D. and have loved every page. My 9 year old son brought this as his book of choice on a weekend trip we took! That tells you something. It is written very intelligently, and also explains history in a clear and simple, yet captivating, manner. Every day I hear, “Mom, can we PLEASE read history today?” I sing back “YES!” because I love it as much as they do. Shoot — I feel like I’m learning as much as they are! This book is a MUST HAVE for every family library! Order it here. Read it with your kids and be prepared to get drawn in…..history will come alive!

Pattern blocks keep my children occupied for hours. They are most often used to build math concepts like symmetry, order, counting, number operations, data collection, and estimation, but I also keep them out to keep little hands productive! If I leave the jar out on the counter, it isn’t 5 minutes before someone is building something with them. I like them because they are educational and fun!