Halloween Costumes 2012 โ€“ Cleopatra!

Last Halloween, my eldest daughter determined that she would decide what she wanted to be for Halloween. The trend continued this year. In July, my daughter announced to me that she was going to be an Egyptian for Halloween. We were very proud and impressed 

Sandy was Kind Here

I am glad to report that Hurricane Sandy was very mild here in Fredericksburg. Aside from constant light rain and light winds, we have no damage, no flooding, no snow and no downed trees. It appears all the damage went further north to New Jersey 

My Plea to Hurricane Sandy, the Frankenstorm

Sandy, darling, did you have to pick Halloween for your arrival? Honestly, your timing could not be worse. Not for the usual reasons. Weather-wise, this is not the worst time of year for massive destruction and power outages. It is not unseasonably hot or cold. 

Ruly Ruth: How to Be an AWESOME Team Parent!

With kids’ sports events in full swing with the beginning of school, I wanted to share my method for performing Team Mom (or Team Dad) duties. I have performed this job in 2 different states for a large variety of sports teams, and wanted to 

Homeschooling Insights: Standardized Testing

Here in Virginia, homeschooled students must provide evidence of adequate progress to their local school district each year. Proof is accepted in one of two forms: an adequate score on a national standardized test (such as the California Achievement Test) or evaluation by a Masterโ€™s