Sophie: I water my garden every day. Yesterday we planted spinach because I eat it all the time. I love my garden, but I hate mosqutios. Goodbye folks!
“Picture This!”
Lisa: Do you have any hobbies? We learned early on that Sophie was attracted to electronic devices. She is pretty computer savvy and just naturally picks up on the operation of handheld devices. I remember once when she and I were driving to Mount Washington Children’s Hospital in Baltimore from our home in Pennsylvania. (I …
“Team Sophie”
Lisa: As I have mentioned many times before, Sophie has been on a neurodevelopmental program for almost 13 years. The program is written by the National Association for Child Development (www.nacd.org), updated periodically based on Sophie’s progress, and encompasses all aspects of her development, including all therapies, education, and health. The NACD program is parent-driven. …
“Chocolate”
Lisa: Tonight we have a simple message: “CHOCOLATE MAKES US HAPPY!!” After a powerhouse day at “The Academy,” a.k.a. Sophie’s homeschool, we decided we needed a treat. So for no particular reason, we decided to drive 20 minutes one way for dark chocolate. Mind you, there are multiple grocery stores close by. Sophie: Wait a …
“I think he needs ear tubes.”
Lisa: Do you care what other people think? Do your inhibitions prevent you from speaking your mind? My truthful responses would be “yes” and “yes.” Sophie worries way less than I do about such things. This story is a perfect example. When Sophie was about 2 1/2 years old, she got ear tubes. I …
“Miss Vera”
Sophie: Miss Vera is my brand new piano teacher! She is very nice, and also, she is amazing, and she also just delivered her twin babies! She is from Hungary, and her husband is named Christophe. With her as my teacher, I played in my first piano recital this past winter. My next performance is …
“Raising Highly Capable Children: Household Chores”
Lisa: Someone once emailed me a funny story about a couple who was watching late night TV. The wife declares to her husband that she is going to bed. She then spends the next hour running around the house doing last-minute chores. In the midst of her frenzy, the husband announces to no one in …
“The Day She Cracked the Code”
Lisa: As per instructions from Bob Doman at the National Association for Child Development (NACD), we began flashing picture cards to Sophie when she was 9 months old in order to build receptive language. Cards were flashed in categories several times a day in short, high-intensity spurts. When Sophie was about 23 months old, Bob …
“Sophie’s Brown Rice Vegetarian Grape Leaves”
Lisa: Did I mention that we are Lebanese? As such, Sophie’s refined palate LOVES almost any kind of food containing lemon juice. If you don’t like the flavor of lemon in foods, you just may starve at our house! One of Sophie’s favorite meals is grape leave rolls. This variation might make my dear grandmother …
“Homeschooling away from home? Why not?!”
Lisa: One thing I’ve learned about homeschooling is that it can sometimes be very difficult to motivate my child to get up and start the day in a timely fashion. And honestly, if I were in Sophie’s shoes, I think I might sometimes feel the same way. I’d probably wonder why I need to hurry …