Why Our Family Does NOT Celebrate Halloween

October 21, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 23 Comments

Does your family celebrate Halloween?

This can be a contentious topic among the general population of conservative Christians.

It gets debated in FaceBook groups. It gets argued about by different denominations. It even results in heated disputes within the same church family.

It ranks up there with Santa Claus and Harry Potter for topics that cause some Christians to feel judged by their fellow {usually like-minded} believers.

Reasons for not celebrating vary but usually center around words like death, darkness and demons.

James 2:19 is often quoted as the Biblical standing to not celebrate.

But, when people ask me why we don’t celebrate, I give them one very simple statement…

“My husband does not want us to celebrate Halloween.”

Even before we were engaged, Charlie told me that any future family of his would not celebrate Halloween.

He took the time to explain to me why and he answered all of my questions on the topic, but, I’m not going to share any of that with you.

He quoted Scripture. He felt convicted on the topic. What he said made sense to me at the time {and it still does}, but if you want to engage in a debate with me about why we don’t celebrate Halloween, all I am going to say is

“My husband does not want us to celebrate Halloween.”

I know many firmly-grounded Christian families that do.

Heck, I grew up celebrating Halloween.

Double heck, so did Charlie!

But our son, who is now 12, has never dressed up and knocked on doors for candy, has never carved a jack-o-lantern and has never even attended a single Harvest Celebration or Trunk-or-Treat.

My husband’s desire never to celebrate the holiday extends to not wanting to mimic it either so we steer clear of it all.

Instead, we hide in the basement, watch movies and eat pizza and candy. It’s a rather fun family tradition that we all enjoy.

I’ll admit, it was harder when our son was younger and everybody {from the waitress taking our order to the eye doctor giving an exam} would ask what he was going to be for Halloween.

There were even a few years when we basically avoided all social activities in October because it seemed that everybody, including the library, MOMS Club, MOPS and the local Rec Center planned their crafts and experiences around the topic of Halloween.

There were some awkward exchanges between my closest friends because I’m sure they felt I was a party pooper, or worse, judged by our choice. I used to fumble for responses and replies. I often did whatever I could to avoid the topic altogether.

But, as each October has come and gone, I’ve grown more confident in the topic and finally found the perfect reply when people would ask about our holiday plans…

“My husband does not want us to celebrate Halloween.”

It’s not a cop-out. It’s not passing the buck. It’s not avoiding confrontation. It’s simply the truth and, if anything, it shows that devotion to your spouse and a unified front of both parents are more important than any cultural traditions, fun holidays or seasonal activities.

How about you? Is there something your family does {or does not do} because one spouse feels strongly on the subject?

HOMESCHOOL MOMS Are Not the Same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS

August 11, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 38 Comments

I recently saw a poll in a big Face Book group for HOMESCHOOL MOMS that asked the question, “If your church asked all TEACHERS to stand up and be recognized, would you stand up?”

The answers varied, of course, {but the discussion stayed civil, thankfully} and it got me thinking, “would I?”

If my pastor asked the TEACHERS in the congregation to stand up and be recognized, would I stand up?

The answer is NOPE. I would not. I would stay seated and respectfully acknowledge all of the TEACHERS who stood. Why?

Because I don’t consider myself a TEACHER.

I am a HOMESCHOOL MOM.

And HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

I’m a mom who has decided to educate her child at home. Yes, I teach my child. But I am not a TEACHER in the way most people use the term.

I’m not a TEACHER of other people’s kids.

I’m not a TEACHER who is responsible for 30 kids at one time.

I’m not a TEACHER who is mandated to teach specific subjects and utilize certain books.

I’m not a TEACHER who answers to 30 sets of parents, one principal, a team of grade level peers, a full school board and the state.

I’m not a TEACHER who is underpaid but still expected to provide a beautiful but calm, comfortable but exciting, gender-neutral, multi-cultural environment for my students.

I’m not a TEACHER who is regulated in what she can say and how she can say it.

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a mom who uses homeopathic remedies at home is a doctor.

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a dad who arms himself at home is a police officer.

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a neighbor who rescues his family from a fire is a firefighter.

I’m just a mom who decided that it would be best to educate her son at home.

And I get to make that education look however my husband and I decide.

It’s an absolute privilege to do so and I feel blessed every day.

Is it always easy? Of course not.

Is it always fun? Ha. I wish.

Is it worth it? Totally!

But, I am not a TEACHER.

Let those men and women have their discounts.

Let them have their special appreciation weeks.

Let them flood their FB pages with requests for classroom donations.

Let the community call them special.

Let the churches recognize them on certain days.

Let the public donate backpacks and pencil pouches.

HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

CLASSROOM TEACHERS are poorly paid, underappreciated, hard working individuals who deserve special recognition.

And, yes, so are HOMESCHOOL MOMS. We are special. We work hard. We are often underappreciated. And we’re certainly underpaid, ha ha. But we CHOOSE to do those things and be that person for our own families. That is an entirely different concept than a CLASSROOM TEACHER who is assigned 30 new kids each year from community families and is expected to provide a decent education with a small budget and a huge bureaucracy.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying CLASSROOM TEACHERS are worth more than HOMESCHOOL MOMS. And I am not saying the opposite.

All, I am saying is that

HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

SHARK WEEK: Three Things It Can Do For Your Family

July 15, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 73 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.

SHARK WEEK 2019 airs July 28-August 4 on the Discovery Channel

Whether you are a homeschool mom who tries to never let a learning opportunity pass, a public school dad looking for ways to get your kids to stop staring at their electronic devices or a grandma trying to entertain the littles for a week away, SHARK WEEK is the answer to your problem!

Revered in entertainment circles due to its THIRTY-ONE years on the air, SHARK WEEK is also considered a staple among many average households. Chores are put on hold, beach vacations are avoided and memes abound as boatloads of families gather around the TV to enjoy viewing multiple hours of shark-infested waters together.

If your family is not one of them, you need to put your aversions to sharp teeth and killer jaws aside and jump in! “But why,” you might ask, “What can SHARK WEEK do for my family?”

Read on to find out!

ONE: SHARK WEEK Is FUN for the Whole Family!

Even if you don’t consider watching Great Whites and Hammerheads to be a FUN way to spend an evening, there are loads of other ways to turn SHARK WEEK into FUN for everyone!

Singing songs doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!

Break out an old version of the campfire song or find a hip new video version on You Tube! Either way, the song Baby Shark is not only about an entire family of sharks, it is FUN for the Whole Family and will surely make everybody want to dance and sing!

Making shark-shaped quesadillas!

If you were crafty prior to the advent of Pinterest, you can probably come up with some awesome ways to eat your way through SHARK WEEK without any help. But if you’re not naturally crafty {like me}, you can find these uber cute shark quesadillas over at Food Network. You can also find shark cookies, shark pudding cups, shark banana pops, shark cupcakes and a fruit & cheese display with a shark-shaped watermelon. That sure sounds like some yummy FUN for the Whole Family to me!

Wearing shark-themed jammies!

Nothing says FUN for the Whole Family quite like a pajama party! But, not just any pajama party; it needs to be a shark-themed pajama party! Whether you get a classic set from Lands End or a set of full-on shark themed onesie pajamas, there’s a size and style for everyone! Sleep not required!

TWO: SHARK WEEK Is EDUCATIONAL for All Ages!

Some families send their kids to educational camps and academic tutors because they worry about the “summer slide” causing their kids to lose whatever skills they acquired during the school year. Other families aren’t quite as regimented and like to “sneak in” learning opportunities by making available clever toys and games and hoping their kids take the bait. And some families don’t even think twice about learning over the summer and believe that a simple read aloud at night fits the bill. Whatever style of parenting you rock, you should know that SHARK WEEK offers an amazing variety of opportunities that are EDUCATIONAL for All Ages!

Creating shark art projects!

Pinterest abounds with ideas for shark-themed art projects. From rock painting and flip flop wreaths to paper plate pictures and sensory bottles, there truly is something for everyone that I would file under “art EDUCATION“. You can fairly easily paint, draw, cut out and mold sharks because their body form is so simple in design. But, if you have family members that are more advanced and adventurous, Pinterest has loads of ideas including paper mache, watercolor, nail art and more that you can find here.

Building shark models!

As is practically mandatory with all boy households, we have a gazillion Legos in our home that we use for several EDUCATIONAL purposes. I’m sure we’d be able to construct a shark fairly easily with those fun, colorful bricks but making a 3D model that includes an awesome view of a shark’s inner workings brings that EDUCATIONAL benefit to a whole new level! This particular Great White Shark Anatomy Model includes more than 20 separate, easily identifiable body parts and is way less expensive than your typical Lego set.

Learning the science of sharks!

Learning about the science of sharks is not only EDUCATIONAL, it is also fun! Sharks are super cool creatures with really interesting features as this Super Sharks Fact Pack explains {full disclosure…I created this 64 Fact Pack. It’s available to purchase on TpT or you can get it for FREE by subscribing to my email list here.} If informational text and writing prompts isn’t your idea of EDUCATIONAL fun, you can also find several science projects online including how to make your very own Sharknado and learning how sharks float. Between those three options, there is something EDUCATIONAL for All Ages and abilities!

THREE: SHARK WEEK Is a BONDING Experience!

BONDING over sharp toothed eating machines might seem like an odd suggestion but research shows that the average family spends less than 40 minutes participating in any sort of BONDING EXPERIENCE together each day. So, if cartilage-infused predators is what brings the whole family together, go for it! Your kids won’t forget it and they’ll learn a thing or two along the way.

Reading shark books together!

Just a quick glance over at Amazon will show you that there are hundreds of shark books from which to choose, but when it comes to BONDING with kids, a book that combines facts AND humor is the way to go. We can always depend on The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library to teach our kids some amazing non-fiction facts through humor and rhyme. Where else can you read…

“We never find bones

because sharks don’t have those.

Sharks are made up of cartilage

just like your nose!

Cartilage helps sharks

to turn and to bend

and to move through the water

much faster, my friend!”

You can find Hark! A Shark! here on Amazon along with hundreds of other options. In addition to Amazon, Usborne and More always has amazing non-fiction books that includes at least one shark title.

Visiting an aquarium together!

This BONDING EXPERIENCE obviously requires more time, money and energy than most of our other suggestions. But visiting an aquarium can be a wonderful BONDING EXPERIENCE for all ages. We recently visited the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco and had a lovely time observing sharks, octopuses, otters and more. Aquariums are usually smallish in size which make them much more feasible for small kids and elderly grandparents alike. Plus, they aren’t as exhausting as outdoor zoos and allow time in the same day for other BONDING EXPERIENCES like lunch, shopping or naps! {We actually managed to attend a SF Giants ball game after our aquarium experience.}

Watching SHARK WEEK together!

This suggestion is obviously not tech-free nor is it hands-on but watching SHARK WEEK together can be a fun BONDING EXPERIENCE nonetheless. Our family has found that when we choose to purposely sit down and watch something together, it can be as much of a BONDING EXPERIENCE as a trip to the zoo or dining out. The key is to not do it haphazardly but rather to be intentional about it. And, if you add in one or two of the above suggestions before/after/during one of the shows, the result will be a FUN, EDUCATIONAL and BONDING EXPERIENCE they’ll never forget!

SHARK WEEK 2019 airs July 28-August 4 on the Discovery Channel

The WOLFe Pack Den is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Stop saying, “WE’RE ALL JUST DOING OUR BEST,” because I’m not! Are you?

March 28, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 83 Comments

I wish moms would just stop saying, “We’re all just doing our best,” because I’m certainly not! Are you?

I heard it again just yesterday. Or, rather, I SAW it several times in a series of comments in a FaceBook group for homeschooling moms.

“She’s just doing her best,”

“Stop. The Mommy Wars. We’re all doing the best we can.”

“We need to show more support for one another. We’re doing our best!”

And, yet, I wonder, “are we?”

I know for darn certain that I AM NOT.

Sure, I have some uber duber super duper days.

I usually take charge of Monday and own it like a boss.

I’m up early. My lesson plans are all prepped. The kitchen is spotless. The laundry is whirling away. The carpets are vacuumed. The kid is on task. Nobody is yelling or crying. I’m even dressed (including a bra) and actually answer the door when the UPS man arrives. I have meals planned. It’s all good. I AM DOING MY BEST!

But, by Thursday little of that fabulousness remains. No bra. No home-cooked meals. No clean carpets. Those things have been replaced with short tempers from everybody, Hot Pockets for lunch and Hulu in the middle of the day.

I KNOW how to own my days. I KNOW what it means to do my best. I do! I did it on Monday and Tuesday…some weeks I even rock Wednesday too.

So, what happened? It’s not like I forgot. And, truth be told, it’s not like anything changed. I just got tired and, frankly, more than a wee bit lazy. While sitting on the couch in my day pajamas, I will contemplate all I need to do but am NOT doing. I have the time. I have the knowledge. I just don’t have the energy. Or the desire. Or the gumption. I’m not sure what to call it.

Call it whatever you want, but it sure isn’t MY BEST.

Now, I know most moms, ESPECIALLY homeschool moms, have way more on their figurative plates than I do* with more kids and actual jobs but I still wonder if “we’re all just doing our best.” I honestly believe that, for the most part, the truth is we’re not.

WE ARE NOT DOING OUR BEST.

If you rang my doorbell on Thursday at 1:30pm, you’d probably find me braless and drinking coffee with unbrushed teeth and my hair in a blob on my head. You’d find my kid wearing the same clothes that he wore to Youth Group the night before, eating Doritos while watching You Tube on the iPad. There’d be dishes in the sink, cat fur on the carpet and laundry on the kitchen table.

Are any of those things HORRIBLE enough to warrant a call to Child Protective Services. Of course not. But, are they MY BEST?

Good golly, no.

If I actually answered the door and let you in, I’d apologize for the messy everything and you’d brush it off and say, “Oh. It’s fine! You should see MY house. No worries. We’re all just doing our best.” And then we’d laugh and pretend that was true.

But, if that was true, my Thursday would look like my Monday.

If that was true, dry shampoo would not be on an auto order with Amazon.

If that was true, they would not recognize us at the McDonald’s drive-thru.

If that was true, my husband would not need to remind me to put gas in my car before I run out again.

If that was true, I wouldn’t avoid the bathroom scale like I do WalMart on a Sunday.

If that was true, the kid would not have a pile of incomplete school work labeled “Summer Stuff”.

Instead of saying, “You’re just doing your best,” maybe we need to be brave and bold and say, “While you binge watch The Handmaid’s Tale this weekend, why don’t you fold some laundry? Eight piles on the kitchen table really isn’t okay. Everybody, including YOU, will appreciate it.”♥

Or instead of ignoring your child’s rude interruptive behavior at co-op because you’re “just doing your best” and taking a break while chatting with another homeschool mom, you actually break away from the conversation and redirect your child’s behavior.♦

Or perhaps instead of perusing FaceBook for hours each day, you actually sit down and plan some meals. McDonald’s won’t be happy but your husband, bank account and BMI will be.♣

Now, I’m not saying we all need to start openly calling one another out on doing our best. I’m not saying that at all. That would do nothing but ramp up the Mommy Wars and create loads of resentful, angry women.

But, I AM suggesting that we start calling out OURSELVES. Ask yourself, “am I really doing my best?”

And, MAYBE, after your answer is consistently “YES!” you can then broach the subject with your BFF. Maybe.

*{It’s tough to beat how much I have on my literal plate though! I LOVE food!}

♥{True story, basically but with a different series every weekend since I finished Handmaid’s Tale long ago.}

♦{Totally true story except for the days I was teaching co-op because it’s hard to gossip with other moms while teaching a group of kids.}

♣{Oh my! 100% true story but with Freddy’s and Q’Doba mixed in too.}