How to Plan a Birthday Party for Your Little Spy

My oldest daughter has been into detective/spy stuff for quite some time. We devour Nancy Drew books, and she even created her own detective bag – complete with note pad, flashlight, secret codes, fingerprint kit, etc. Also, one time during our Bible study, I...

True Confessions of a Tired Mom

If anyone says motherhood was easy, they are either referring to their pet hamsters or they are heavily medicated. I’ll admit, I used to beat myself up over not getting things done perfectly. After I got over that, I would occasionally beat myself up over not...

Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

It was one of those days in our world of homeschooling. Frequent eye rolls, complaining and bickering throughout our morning lessons. I really did my best to be patient. I tried to keep my voice calm – despite having to sometimes  raise it above their elevated...

The Tolleys Went to Sea, Sea, Sea.

We just returned from our first family Disney cruise experience. Joe and I have cruised before, but this was our first with Disney; and the girls have never cruised at all. I don’t know which I enjoyed the most – the cruise itself or seeing the...

Living With Dirt

I’m not sure why, but keeping a clean house has been a slight obsession of mine for a while. Maybe it’s because, as a homeschooling family and being here during the day, I notice the clutter more. Or, it could be my slightly OCD tendencies kicking in. I found myself...