Monday Pep Talk No. 23
It’s Monday again! Here’s your weekly dose of ideas for feeding, engaging, entertaining, and enjoying your homeschool family in the days ahead.
3 fun things to do this week
Forget the groundhogs—celebrate Sled Dog Day (on Feb. 2) by virtually hopping aboard an Iditarod dogsled for a race across Arctic terrain, with stops for science and cultural study along the way.
Doodle Day (Feb. 5) is the perfect excuse to start keeping a Four-Minute Diary.
Get to know the stories that ballet dancers bring to lyrical life with Tales from the Ballet by Louis Untermeyer, a gorgeously illustrated retelling of classic ballet stories. (Ballet Day is Feb. 7.)
3 ideas for this week’s dinners
Chicken parm meatballs are a fun riff on two regular family favorites.
Making schlutzkrapfen with porcini, browned butter and walnuts is a little fussy, but big cooking projects make great entertainment on cold days—and these are so yummy!
Tastier than takeout Chinese and nearly as quick, this hot and sour soup warms up chilly nights.
one great readaloud
There are some emotionally charged bits that you may want to prepare sensitive kids for, but The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, World War II historical fiction in which abused, unhappy Ava finds happiness when she sneaks off to the country to escape the war, is easily one of last year’s best books.
one thought to ponder
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor.”
—Victor Hugo
