Arrow-Raising Mom

Apparently yesterday was national Daughter Day?!

I have to be honest, after our boys were born I was sure I was never going to have a daughter. We were DONE having kids and I proceeded to get rid of a bunch of baby stuff when our James was 6 months old.

Why did I do that? 🤪

Raina Joy and Eden Hope, you will forever be reminders to me that God’s plan is better than my own. 💕

I love that my kids get to see exactly where their food comes from. They helped plant many of the seeds in this garden, and several times a week help with the harvesting. Sometimes right before dinner we run out to grab a few things (because I’m not on top of things around here 😅). They’re also learning the value of hard work, community living, and family contribution. Learning and growing every day.

Easy nature activity 🍃

My kids love collecting rocks and random things they find outside, but we have such limited space that I didn’t know where to put their treasures on display.

Enter the Nature Bowl 🍂 🐚🍀

This is our school table centerpiece. The kids can display their nature finds, and it also serves as a fun activity observing the things we’ve collected. Some of the rocks are from a rock dig activity at a campground but most are things we’ve found here on the farm. My rules are that if it’s too big for the bowl or it’s alive then it has to stay outside 😉

Do your kids have a nature collection?

Best friends. I can’t imagine sending them to school to be apart all day. I know it’s it’s not reasonable for every family, but for our family cultivating these precious sibling relationships is one of our top priorities.

Sometimes they need some space. Sometimes they need to hang with their friends. But while friends may come and go and change through the years, they’ll always have each other. ❤️

We’re 17 days into our first grade curriculum and so far loving it! He is struggling in some areas and thriving in others, so we are adjusting as needed. Love love love LOVE that I can be home with my crew.

Fearless. This girl is fearless.

Having a daughter is different than I thought it would be. More often than not I find myself worrying.

I worry about her self-image.
I worry how people will treat her.
I worry she’ll be made to feel small.
I worry I’ll fail her.
I worry.

But right now, she is fearless. She is bold. She is loud. Fearfully and wonderfully made. I want to be like her when I grow up 💕

Art 👀

These books were both included with our first grade curriculum.

If the kids aren’t playing outside, my oldest is usually at the table drawing, cutting, gluing, or painting. We are going through the Drawing with Children book together and I got some Paper Mate Flair pens he can use this year. Do you use an art curriculum?

Yesterday morning was rare.

We’re almost never all awake and together in the morning. My husband works until 4:30am and is asleep before the kids get up. But he’s been having trouble sleeping and decided to stay up for a while. As he sat on the couch I looked around, and all I could see were the many things that needed to be done.

Laundry to be folded
Dishes to wash
Mail to be filed
Floor to sweep

So I asked my husband, “do you wanna wash the dishes or fold the laundry?”

“I’d really just like to play with the kids right now.”

And I watched as the kids nestled in beside him on the couch, their eyes bright as they read books and asked questions. Eventually we turned on some music and had a full on dance party to old school Newsboys.

When each day brings so much uncertainty (if you’ve been following along for a while you’ll know we’ve had quite a year) my husband has learned to embrace every precious moment with his kids. He knew what was important yesterday morning, and it wasn’t anything on my list. In 20 years that list will still be there, but our babies won’t be babies anymore.

You probably have a to-do list a mile long, too. Set it down for a while and take a walk, play a game, make up silly stories, sing some songs, have a dance party - the list will wait.

Oh, sweet boy. You are 6 years old today. You are filled with so many questions, so much fire, so much compassion, and endless love. God blessed me beyond measure when He chose me...impatient, angry, clumsy, selfish me...to be your mama. You soften my heart each day. Happy Birthday ❤️

I see you mama.

I see you eating the toast crusts your toddler wouldn’t touch.

I see you throwing back a handful of dry cereal before tending to a small child.

I see you sneaking in bites here and there, inbetween cooking, cleaning, potty breaks, and play dates.

We tell our kids that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but rarely do we feed ourselves with the same intention.

I’ve been there. And my days reflected the crumbly leftovers of my kids’ breakfasts.

Slow down, mama. Sit down. Make yourself a breakfast that will fuel your day, give you energy, and fill you up.

Your days will reflect the intention with which you care for your body each morning. Make sure you are loving yourself well. 💕

M&Ms are not just a tasty treat! We have “M&M math” after dinner almost every night with my father-in-law. The kids learn about colors, sorting, counting, addition, subtraction...something for each child’s age. We avoid food dyes as much as possible but we found these Unreal chocolate candies without numbered food dyes and the kids love them!

My husband grew up loving Calvin and Hobbes comics. It was a fun day when he brought his favorite book up from the basement to share with his son. The kid can’t read yet but he will sit and look at the drawings for an hour or more if no one is available to read to him. Do you have a beloved book you just can’t wait to share with your kids?

My almost-6-year-old wants us to have “a hundred babies!” 😅 I love how precious and sweet he is with the younger kiddos, and I am so thankful he’s ours ❤️

We made a lot of promises that day. For better or worse, for richer or poorer....in sickness and in health. We never imagined how hard the “sickness” days would be. But through every obstacle we’ve faced we’ve declared our commitment. We are ALWAYS better as a team. I will always fight for you, my love ❤️ Happy Anniversary ❤️

A friend recently expressed frustration and struggle over reading her bible and devotional regularly.
I had shared about my daily devotional that has the date included - 366 devotionals for each day of the year. She wanted to know what I do when I miss one, because the pressure to read all of them and “catch up” is so real.
Her fear resonated with me because I had been there. I’ve tried multiple times to read my Bible in a year, following very specific (and lengthy) readings each day starting on January 1st. Each day I missed put me further and further behind until I felt I could never catch up. I failed over and over and over. What was meant to fill my tank with Jesus was now a chore that filled me with dread.
Until the day I realized that God didn’t have some great cosmic checkbox I needed to tick off each day. My purpose for reading my Bible was no longer to complete my spiritual homework assignment (I’d get F’s more often than not) - I started reading simply to learn and grow and know more than I did the day before. When my purpose shifted from cosmic checkbox to growth, the result was joy and wonder.
I rarely miss a day of reading my devotional now. Each day reveals more of who God is and his power in my soul, and for that I am filled with joy. 💕

Exploding chalk!

My kids found this activity in a book we got from my sister, and of course we had to try it! This would be a great activity this holiday weekend!
You’ll need:
8 Tbsp baking soda
2 cups cornstarch
2 cups vinegar
Plastic ziplock bags
Paper towels
Rubber bands
Food coloring
Cut a paper towel into four squares. Add 2 tbsp baking soda to each square, fold up corners, and use a rubber band to close baking soda packets.
Combine vinegar, cornstarch, and food coloring in plastic bag and shake to mix. Add baking soda packet, seal quickly, step back and watch it explode!
We found it best to break open the paper towel packet through the bag after sealing. If you want a BIG explosion, shake the bag after adding the baking soda, but beware...it might explode while you’re holding it! Ask me how I know 😅 💥

It’s mulberry season! Our mulberry tress exploded with gorgeous fruit this weekend. Teaching our kids where food comes from is super easy when it’s in our backyard 🌳

Every single picture I took of this sweet girl today is blurry....she is always smiling and always moving! Eden’s name means “delight” and she’s exactly what we never knew we needed ❤️

Oh how I love running out to the garden just before dinner for the absolute freshest ingredients possible! Basil is one of our favorite herbs to throw into our dinners. I have great garden helpers, and I love that our kids know exactly where their food is coming from ❤️

My husband said to me the other day “I’m just trying to soak up these moments with the kids.” You see, last July my husband’s health suddenly plummeted. He’s been in the hospital dozens of times, is on medication he wishes he didn’t have to take, can’t sleep for pain and fear. He works the night shift which adds another level of exhaustion. He’s not the engaged, energetic dad he was a year ago. But he loves these kids with every fiber of his being. And every moment he spends is treasured, intentional, and precious. He speaks to the kids in ways I don’t know how to do myself, and he leads through teaching and walking alongside them. We just can’t do without you ❤️ Happy Father’s Day to my favorite guy ❤️

My favorite niece turned two this week, so we had a tea party for lunch! Happy Birthday, Gracelyn Mae! ❤️ ☕️ 🎉

There’s nothing quite so sweet as coming home ❤️ this guy has spent a lot of time in the hospital. With COVID precautions, he’s spent most of that time alone the last few months. He had to go in for an overnight stay because of complications from surgery. Coming home to four kids who grin and squeal when they see him is more healing than anything they can do for him at the hospital. ❤️

I just can’t help admiring this beautiful amaryllis flower. I am not a gardener, botanist, anything - but my mother-in-law has a deep love for plants, they are everywhere in and around our house. And so I will sit and admire the beauty and color and wonder. 🌺

Homeschooling in NY means ALL the paperwork 🙄 I’m thankful for experienced homeschool mamas and companies like HSLDA and LEAH that can help break things down and make homeschool reporting easy! Our Letter of Intent is due July 1st and I’m sending our Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) with it at the same time, then making a personal template to be prepared for our quarterly reports. Do you have to report for homeschooling in your state?

We treat questions very seriously in our house. Kids ask A LOT of questions. Often at inconvenient times. Often many questions in a row as one answer leads to a new question and expands a train of thought. Our oldest child asks questions all. The. Time.
And we take each question seriously. From the seemingly simple questions, to the big, philosophical life questions. Because questions reveal a thirst for knowledge, a basic need to know, and a love of learning we never want to crush.
It’s one of the reasons I love homeschooling. Today our son asked how bones and joints worked. So we pulled out our science books and made models from K’Nex pieces. We explored the topic further than he even knew he wanted to go, prompting more questions, and more wonder.
Sometimes we don’t know the answers to the questions, but isn’t that just an opportunity to learn together? To acknowledge OUR OWN desire to learn? Every question deserves thoughtful answers that make our kids feel heard and feed their natural intellectual hunger.
And so we take every question seriously, and every day they grow and grow and grow.

Been quiet for a few days. Needed some rest. REAL rest. Real rest for me has been less social media, less news, more family, more God. Rest has been doing more of what heals my heart.

My new favorite breakfast 🙌🏻
With four kids under age 6 I find meals to be a source of great appetites and great chaos 🤪 something that has been so helpful for me is uncomplicating my own meals so that I can be present and responsive with my kids. The past week I’ve made this shake every morning before the kids get up and it keeps me full until around 10am (snack time!)
12ish oz HOT coffee
1-2 scoops vegan protein powder
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
Combine in a shaker bottle and enjoy ☕️

Do you do summer school? We spend 99% of our summer days outside, but there a few specific things I’m focusing on this year to get ready for first grade in the fall.
✉️Phone number and address memorization and learning what to do in emergency situations
✏️ Handwriting practice from
🧮Math practice and telling time with Wipe Clean activity books
📒Summer bridge activity book that was gifted to us by my sister
I already know we are not going to “do school” every day, but my hope is that using these materials a few times a week (and reading lots of books!) will keep Aaron’s mind sharp and ready for school in September!

The days I wake up early and put good vibes and God’s word into my mind I KNOW I am a better human the rest of the day. I’m a better wife, a better mom, and I FEEL happier and lighter and free 🙌🏻 the coffee helps, too ☕️😉

I struggle with finding the right words, but this song has been playing over and over in my head - May we learn and grow and love more.

As the kids were brushing teeth and getting ready for bed last night my oldest spotted this beauty through the window. “Everybody outside!” And we ran in bare feet through the wet grass to see the dazzling colors. Sometimes I am tempted to doubt, but when I see a rainbow in the sky, everything about its colors, its beauty, its SCIENCE screams of a God that knitted to world together with such care and detail that in my soul I don’t believe it’s just chance.

Enough new followers for an intro?!? I’m Kaitlin, wife to Al, mom to 4 kiddos ages 5 and under, daughter of the One True King 🙌🏻 I’m super passionate about homeschooling, learning about Jesus, crafting, and drinking lots and lots of coffee ☕️ started my as a writing outlet and dream for many years - SperoMom was my first attempt in 2016, and I created Arrow-Raising Mom in the middle of a crazy season of our lives to encourage others in raising their kids to be launched into the world (and to encourage myself, because I’m always learning and growing too!). We live on a 60+ acre hobby farm so you can expect to see mixed in with community living, homeschooling, parenting, marriage, and Jesus 🙌🏻 I’m so glad you’re here! Say hello 👋 in the comments!

My son asked to feed the baby her breakfast and it is simultaneously the sweetest and funniest thing ever 🥰 you’re going to make a great daddy someday, sweet boy ❤️

It’s been a few weeks since my husband and I sat down for our weekly devotional. After I made a snarky comment to him this morning I pulled the book off the shelf, opened to where we left off, and started reading out loud. My voice was a little choked as I read because with each word I realized God was totally calling me out. Ugh. Why you gotta be like that, God? 😂 when I finished reading I apologized for what I had said and we were able to have a great discussion before my night-shift working husband went to bed. As I sat and drank my coffee after he left I marveled at God’s hand in our marriage and our life. He’s working on our hearts if we’re open and willing to listen.

So something happened yesterday. We found a salamander in the pond so we decided to look up a couple information videos on salamanders on YouTube before lunch.
An ad popped up at the beginning of one video. I’ve seen the ad before. It’s a fit man saying something along the lines of “we all know that in order to lose weight and be fit you need to eat less.” Or something like that. Now, because I’ve seen the ad before I know the first bit is a little sarcastic - the point of the ad is actually to say that’s NOT how to lose weight (for whatever program the ad is for).
About thirty seconds later I hear my 6-year-old thoughtfully say to himself “I need to not eat so much.”
No. No no no. Aren’t you just my little baby? Aren’t you too little for these thoughts to start invading your head? My heart broke upon hearing those words from the mouth of a child.
We stopped what we were doing so I could tell him, “No, Aaron, you eat just the right amount for a young boy who is growing to be a man.” These kids are active, fit, strong, and thank you Jesus they don’t often argue about eating their veggies. And yet 10 seconds of an ad on YouTube put the thought in my child’s mind that maybe he eats too much or needs to lose weight.
I cannot protect my children forever from everything. But right now my job is to instill in their minds their identity so that when they are eventually grown they will know who they are.
My child, you are brave. You are strong. You are smart. You are creative, and kind, and sweet. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and you are so so loved.

There’s certainly more that goes into homeschooling, but if you’re thinking of homeschooling and you feel stuck, these steps (in this order) are a solid place to start.

5 First Steps to Begin Homeschooling in New York State New York is one of the strictest states when it comes to homeschooling. There are a lot of confusing and vague requirements, and the difficulty can vary from district to district. There are attendance requirements and handfuls of paperwork to submit during the year. It can be intimidating to a new h...

How are you honoring the sacrifice that was made for your freedom in this country? How are you honoring the Sacrifice made to free your soul?

I just cannot share this book enough - Go. Get. It. Now. Especially if you’re grumpy. You need this if you’re grumpy 🙏🏻