Our Newest Arrival: Baby Boy!

January 13, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting

C'est un garçon! It's a boy--and he arrived this last Sunday! He was four days past his due date, so we were all feeling ready. Here's his birth story:

Predictions, Patience, and Peace in 2015

January 07, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Parenting Books, Reflections on Parenting

I'm predicting some changes for our family in 2015--good changes, but startlingly big. There's the little one who's due date is today. (Whenever you're ready, little one, we'd love to meet you!). There's a summer-long stay in France that may extend into autumn if I stay a few weeks longer with our children. And once we're all home, we may begin building a house if God opens the door to some land that we'd like to purchase. All of these changes hold so much hope! Just knowing that they are possible reminds me that we are extravagantly blessed beyond anything we deserve.

C'est le Weekend: Links for the New Year

January 02, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Weekend Links

It's been months since I last shared some weekend links, mostly because I avoid posting content unless I think you'll find it relevant or insightful, and I just hadn't come across many good articles online. But with the New Year, there's a lot of fresh, motivational content out there--content about recipes, parenting, humor, and bilingualism, so read on!

39 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #3: Thoughts & Actions

December 31, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting, Home Management

Happy New Year's Eve! Today marks the 39-week point in my pregnancy with our third child, so in addition to reflecting on the past year and the possibilities ahead, I'm also highly aware that our family is about to embark on the adventure of birth and postpartum adjustments. It's like being at the front of the line for a roller coaster that you haven't actually seen. I'm not fearful, only excited, but I also have the sense that the next few weeks and months could be quite a ride!

Here's what I've been doing in these days before baby's birth:

Little French Steps Forward: Ages 2 & 5 Language Update

December 17, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning

Bonjour les amis! I wrote about my children's French language use this past June, but in the six months since then I've been encouraged by my kiddos' continued language progress. My son in particular has made some solid French strides. He still talks predominantly in English, but right at the 30-months of age mark (a language milestone mentioned by Dr. Gorman in this podcast), he started using more French vocabulary, and more importantly, he became much more willing to repeat French phrases. (Perhaps we're saying au revoir to the more headstrong moments of the terrible twos?). Amusingly, he also adds his own silly tweaks to the language, saying things like "poo-poo-plaît" instead of "s'il te plaît."

Simple Christmas Crafts & Activities for Little Learners

December 11, 2014 by Michele Cherie in American Culture, Home Management, Reflections on Parenting

C'est la saison de Noël! This December I've enjoyed the gift of time with my children to do some simple crafts and activities: beeswax candle rolling, making gingerbread houses, and biking the Christmas lights at Portland International Raceway. If these experiences are new to you like they were for us, you'll appreciate a few details about how they worked and what we learned.

College Ready Kids by Age 12? The Brainy Bunch Book Review

December 08, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Education, Learning Resources, Parenting Books

Last April, I watched a Today show episodefeaturing a family who has had six children start college by age 12. Kip and Mona Lisa Harding homeschooled their children and published a book about their family's educational journey entitled The Brainy Bunch: The Harding Family's Method to College Ready by Age Twelve. I was intrigued by their story and read The Brainy Bunch over the course of a few hours during my flight to Texas a few weeks ago.

Beginning French Lesson 5: Numbers, Likes, & Dislikes

December 04, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Language Learning, Teaching French

This lesson was the fifth weekly class for beginning French students (ages 8-12) after a two-week break. We focused on reviewing conversational phrases and playing BINGO to reinforce numbers through 79. We also began an activity that helps students learn basic sentence structure and gives them familiarity with using a bilingual dictionary (online and printed versions). This lesson was designed for a 50-minute class.