The mission of the Flamingo Feathers podcast and community is to not only equip Christian special ne
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Making paper snowflakes and stringing popcorn with the family. (We’ll see how long the popcorn lasts before the dog eats it all. 😂) And we read the most precious book this morning. Patricia Polacco’s books are fantastic, and this one had me sobbing by the end. Highly recommend!
Didn’t get any food pictures or pictures of our wonderful meal. But I did get some photos of my family enjoying each other. And for that, I am immensely grateful.
I love hymns! They communicate deep theological truths in a way I think modern worship music just can’t do. We have been following Ambleside Online’s hymn list for the last few years and it has been a blessing to learn all sorts of hymns that are new to us. The hymn we are learning this month really speaks to me. I found this month’s hymn in the 90 year old hymnal I have. “Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go.”
Curious…do you have a favorite hymn? Or if you are a CM home educator, do you study hymns in your homeschool?
It’s exam week for our family! We just finished term 1. We have had a few hiccups along the way, but it’s been mostly a pretty wonderful school year so far. But I am definitely looking forward to putting away term 1 books and breaking our fresh, new term 2 books. If you are a Charlotte Mason homeschooler, what is your favorite part of switching terms?
Our youngest has a fascination with playing Risk right now. Thankful he has a big brother who will indulge him. ❤️
Silas, do you happen to know where the markers are? 😂 This kid! He thinks he is drawing on facial hair so he can be more manly. 😬😂
Needed a little diversion today from doing our typical math tables. So we pulled out our “wrap ups” for math facts drill. It makes math drill fun and engages physical activity as well. What strategies do you use for math facts drill in your homeschool?
The solar eclipse happened while we were serving at the food pantry. So we thought we wouldn’t get a chance to see it. But someone brought a pair of eclipse glasses and we all got to enjoy the view. ☀️ Did you get to see it?
Summer has arrived in our backyard.
We just got back from a trip to Yellowstone (I’ll share about that later) and I am amazed how much my veggies have grown! And the pool is our favorite summer activity. What does your family enjoy doing during summer break?
We are officially on summer break!! 🎉🎉 We still plan to do some math and reading throughout the summer, but that is pretty normal for us. I’ll be honest, I was definitely ready for this dumpster fire of a semester to be finished. (If you have noticed I haven’t been podcasting well this year, yeah…it’s been a doozy of a few months here.) But now pool time has begun! And so has slowly planning for the next school year. I just got my new planner in the mail today and I think I might have finally found one that fits my needs perfectly. 🙌🏽
When does your school year end? Do you work on any school during the summer?
One of the reasons I love being part of our homeschool co-op is the beautiful graduation ceremony for the seniors. This year we got to be part of it, as we graduated our first kid from the co-op. Lovely day!
One last field trip for the year for our little Charlotte Mason Adventure and Culture Club. This time we visited the Chickasaw Nation’s cultural center. A very beautiful location!
Does your family take regular field trips? If so, tell me what your favorite field trip was this year!
Happy Easter, friends! I don’t want to act like Jesus’ resurrection is just for celebrating one day a year, because in all honestly, this fact that I serve a risen Savior has touched my life at more points than I could ever count. Jesus truly has changed everything! ✝️
“We are limited to three educational instruments—the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas.” -Charlotte Mason
I think of these three, the presentation of living ideas is the one that comes the most naturally to me. I do try to be very conscious of the learning environment I provide to my kids—which is more than just a physical environment. Is it stressful or distracting? Is it full of rich materials they can easily grab? Etc.
I’d love to hear your big tips for how you create a warm and inviting atmosphere of learning in your home.
Checking out the sky tonight to see if we could spot all 5 planets that were visible. Did anyone else get a good look at the sky?
Today is World Down Syndrome Day. It’s 3.21 because people with Down Syndrome generally have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome (Trisomy 21 is the official name.)
If you have a child or loved one with Down Syndrome, feel free to share with us a photo or story about how DS has touched your life. Or show us your crazy socks! (We wear crazy socks on WDSD because socks kind of remind us of chromosomes.)
It’s a super rainy spring break day. All the big siblings are at work. So I decided to make homemade play dough. My 8 year old protested “I am too old to play with play dough.” When it came time to mix in the food coloring, he got very intrigued and asked if he could mix the colors himself. I said yes, and he’s been playing with the play dough ever since. 😂😂
My contribution to the fake holiday we love to celebrate as a family…Pi day! It’s a family tradition, and family tradition is very important to my kids.
What made up holiday does your family like to celebrate?
Not sure who made this graphic, but I really love this quote! I haven't read Great Expectations since high school, but this quote is one for my Commonplace book for sure!
Do you or your kids keep a Commonplace journal? If so, I'd love to hear one of your recent quotes! :)
”…what if the devitalisation we notice in so many of our young people, keen about games but dead to things of the mind, is due to the processes carried on in our schools, to our plausible and pleasant ways of picturing, eliciting, demonstrating, illustrating, summarising, doing all those things for children which they are born with the potency to do for themselves? No doubt we do give intellectual food, but too little of it; let us have courage and we shall be surprised, as we are now and then, at the amount of intellectual strong meat almost any child will take at a meal and digest at his leisure.” -Toward a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason
I have this quote highlighted in my book, but I heard it again this morning and it hit me fresh again. How often have I underestimated what my kids could actually do—even my kids that have more significant disabilities? How often have I done the hard work of learning for them? It was a courageous act to hand the responsibility for learning to my kids, but it was their responsibility all along. And I am starting to see the harvest, which is so exciting.
Have you ever underestimated what your kid could do? And then been blown away when you let them come to the table and freely feast on all the knowledge? I’d love to hear your story!
(And a photo of my chickens feasting this morning…)
He had heard about Anne Frank at church last Sunday. I guess it piqued his curiosity, so he pulled out his biography of her that he got for his birthday, snuggled up with me, and started reading more about her. Which impressed me because he’s usually bouncing all over the place, but my kids are frequently capable of way more than I give them credit for.
I love his passion for learning and I will do everything in my power to protect and nurture that love for learning.
What have your kids done lately that have pleasantly surprised you?
Yesterday was a spirit day at our homeschool co-op, and the theme was “Character Day.” Most kids came as movie characters or favorite book characters, or even original characters. I decided to go as Charlotte Mason. 😂😂
We’re about to get clobbered by severe weather. And the kids’ homemade barometer tells us that the pressure has dropped significantly.
Some days focusing on work is easier than others. Oral narrations were a struggle today, so we switched to drawing out scenes from the reading, and that worked well. I love how much freedom there is within the framework of Charlotte Mason’s methods to modify and yet still give our kids the full feast of education that they deserve.
Today’s new episode is about Charlotte Mason style exams. I know the word “exams” may evoke some strong feelings—I know it definitely does for me. But that is because the exams we were given in school simply reminded us of what we didn’t know. The brilliance of CM’s examination method is that it gives our kids an opportunity to shine and show the world all the connections they have made throughout the term. Still, sometimes some modifications need to be made for our kids with learning disabilities. And that is exactly what we discuss in this episode!
Do you have exam week at your home?
I am a huge fan of getting kids into the kitchen and cooking. Not all of my kids have shown a lot of interest in cooking, but you can learn so many valuable lessons while cooking, no matter your skill level!
Silas was showing initiative and wanted to make lunch for our family. So I had him make sandwiches. Prime example of how anything can turn into a learning opportunity. He got to practice sequencing, counting, having impulse control (not squeezing too much mustard or not moving to the next sandwich until the first was ready) while not even realizing he was learning. Not to mention the satisfaction of having made lunch by himself!
What is your favorite meal to cook with your kids?
Our February meeting of our Charlotte Mason Adventure and Culture Club is in the books! We stayed local today and went to the natural history museum. We took our oldest 6 kids there a lot when they were little, and now it is fun to see our youngest two get excited about it.
Have you been on any fun field trips lately?
Getting set up for our annual “Romantic Family Dinner.” I’m making a nice dinner and the kids will dress up. And hopefully everyone remembers how to have good manners. 😂 Do you have Valentine’s plans with your family?
We were late getting them done, but we got our tie dye hearts up in the window just in time for Valentine’s Day! One of my favorite traditions. The colorful backdrop to our school time just makes me smile!!
We’re finishing out exam week for our Charlotte Mason inspired co-op classes. Next week is exam week for our home school classes. The kids might not agree, but exam weeks are my favorite because I am always so amazed by what tidbits were picked up in the readings! Each child is so different. Next week’s podcast episode is going to be about how we accomplish this while accommodating different abilities.
Big day for Flamingo Feathers! Not only do we have a new episode out, but I've also been featured on one of my absolute favorite podcasts--A Delectable Education! This is the podcast that started it all for me in my journey towards becoming a Charlotte Mason homeschooler. Check it out!
Charlotte Mason’s method is relevant for every kind of child, which this week’s episode verifies. Over two years ago, the ADE ladies were interviewed by Beth Corcoran on her Flamingo Fe…
New episode! That's right! Flamingo Feathers is BAAAACK! And we're talking about helping kids do their best on the ACT or SAT. If you have a kid who wants to pursue college and they need to take the standardized tests, this episode is for you! My guest, Dr. Kelly Frindell, gives a lot of advice especially for students with dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, etc who need a little extra help getting ready for the tests. Take a listen on any major podcast platform!
First week back to school is in the books. It’s been a little rocky…. It’s hard to get back into a rhythm after a month of relaxing. Weeks like this remind me that homeschooling is very much for my benefit, too…..slowly chipping away at my rough spots and driving me to Jesus. (Photo of my son’s whittling seems appropriate 😉)
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We have been trying to make the most of our Christmas break. We finished up our Christmas celebrations with one last trip to a favorite lights festival. Going to see Christmas lights all over the state has become one of our family traditions. All my kids value family traditions in varying degrees, but my youngest has made it very clear this year how important traditions are to him, and deviating from them crushes him. I think that is super sweet that he loves family traditions so much. (Cue the tradition song from Fiddler on the Roof…)
School’s out for Christmas break, so we are breaking out the paints and working on some festive Christmas projects.
I always love finding my kids reading or looking at picture books instead of being on a screen. ❤️ Silas is reading “Last Stop on Market Street” which is a super heartwarming picture book. Do you have any favorite picture book recommendations for this time of year?
Term 2 of our homeschool starts soon. This Momma needs to be feeding her mind with beautiful ideas as well as the kids. So I am looking forward to diving into this feast over the next few weeks! What books are you currently reading or planning to read? I’d love to hear!
School this morning included teaching the teens how to change a flat. Thankfully this is the first time in a very long time that we have had to do that! 😬 Hands on homeschooling at its finest!
Oh my goodness! This is my struggle! I am a homeschooling mom who runs a podcast. And I want people to know about my podcast. But I don’t have time to make Instagram worthy photos and reels because I am a homeschooling mom who runs a podcast. 😂I mean, I don’t even always have time to even podcast!! So bear with me because I want you to be blessed by my podcast and my posts, but we are trying to be faithful doing real life over here and not entertaining everyone. 😬😂 Can you relate?!
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I love late summer mornings outside. I am the kind of person who never wants summer to end, but I do also appreciate it when the weather cools just enough that we can spend our days outdoors. What is your favorite season?
I often post about learning disabilities, but adoption related trauma can also cause significant learning issues for our kids. Parenting kids with reactive attachment and trauma can certainly be hard. Goodness…SO hard some days. (Not that there aren’t ever wonderful days too.) But I am so thankful for my tribe of supportive like hearted moms who actually “get it” and can share resources, experience and trauma informed practices. I’d love to hear from you if you are also homeschooling kids with trauma. Comment below or message me! (BTW, my kids think I am a total dork in this video. But we all know I’m secretly a gangster too😂😂😂) #adoptiontrauma #traumainformed #homeschoolingkidswithtrauma #reactiveattachmentdisorder #RAD #specialneeds #homeschooling #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolmom #christianhomeschool #disability #adhd #downsyndrome #homeschoolcoops #kidsonthespectrum #learningdisabilities #dyslexia #disabilityawareness #autism #homeschoolingwithspecialneeds #nonverbal #specialneedsmom #ability #flamingofeathers #podcast
Okay, I totally didn’t forget that I homeschool. 😂 But every year I have a moment where I feel very unprepared for the new year. Definitely feeling it right now. But we are venturing forth bravely! I’ve got 3 in high school, 1 middle schooler, and 2 in elementary! Do you ever feel woefully unprepared for the school year to start?? 😂 #backtoschool #firstdayofschool #homeschooldays #highschoolmom ig
As I like to frequently mention in my podcast, homeschool moms are master DIY’ers. If you are considering homeschooling your child with special needs and/or learning disabilities, please know that it is legal to homeschool them in all 50 states. All you need is the right support. Let the Flamingo Feathers podcast and community be a special needs homeschooling resource for you! 🦩🦩
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In short, Flamingo Feathers is a podcast and blog for special needs homeschooling families, from a Christian perspective.
Hey there, Momma! Thanks for stopping by! Chances are if you’ve made it to this page, you’re looking for a little help and support in your daily homeschooling life. If you’re anything like me, most days you love homeschooling your special needs child, but sometimes it’s just a bit overwhelming. Can I get an amen?!
I started homeschooling in 2008, when we adopted three siblings who were needing some intensive help with getting on track academically. Since then, our family has grown to 8 children, and I have learned how to navigate several academic challenges--most notably severe dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. That's a lot of "dys" words, but we've learned to be flexible and adjust our curriculum. More recently, we started homeschooling our son with Down syndrome. It isn't a very popular choice to homeschool a child with more significant needs, but we have found that there is a strong and flourishing community of special needs homeschoolers out there.
As we have continued on in homeschooling, I almost daily homeschooling questions from friends and strangers alike. Homeschool moms want to know what curriculum I use, how I manage my day, how I navigate the special needs world, and more. But most of all, I have found that moms of kids with special needs just want to know that they have what it takes to homeschool. This blog and podcast was born because I saw there is a need for resources and support for special needs homeschoolers. But more importantly, you need to hear that you have what it takes to homeschool your child! Ordinary moms can, in fact, homeschool their extraordinary kids!
So what's with Flamingo Feathers? Have you ever gathered up feathers before? No two are alike. And flamingos are especially beautiful and fascinating creatures with intricate feathers that come in all sorts of colors and shapes. Just like those feathers, our children are beautiful with their own unique giftings and callings. And so are our families, for that matter! We’ll all do things differently, and that’s okay. But our mission to be excellent homeschool families and to glorify God in what we do—that’s what brings us all together!
I want this to be your safe place to relax as we learn from one another. So grab your cup of coffee (it’s still on the counter and it’s cold, isn’t it?!) and let’s journey together!
