Eagles and owls on hatch watch

One of our favorite things to do is watch live nest cams to observe birds in the wild. We've watched hummingbirds, eagles and owls for the past few years, and it's been so exciting to see the birds grow from hatchlings to fledglings right before our eyes.

A bald eagle I caught in flight behind my parents' house a few years ago.

Right now, two very popular bird cams are on hatch watch, with viewers eagerly awaiting the appearance of baby owls and eagles in Oklahoma and Georgia.

The OKC Owl Cam features an owl family in its fourth year nesting on a ledge on a homeschooling family's house in the Oklahoma City area. You can see what those birds are up to by clicking here.

The Berry College Eagle Cam features a pair of bald eagles in their fourth year of nesting on campus in a tall pine tree. You can watch the eagles day and night by clicking here.

Don't wait too long to check out these amazing bird cams. You'll be thrilled to see feedings in the nest, parents taking off and landing, and young birds growing toward maturity over the coming weeks. These live cams are an incredible resource for homeschoolers or anyone interested in learning more about birds.

Do you have a favorite wildlife cam? Please share it in the comments so we can check it out, too!

They'll never be this little again

Ever since the puppies were born, right after Christmas, time has seemed to fly by more quickly than ever. Those wriggly little creatures have grown from pocket-sized pups to the size of bowling balls in just a matter of six weeks, and in another two weeks they'll be off to new homes, hopefully with families who will love them forever.

One of the lessons my kids are learning through this experience is to savor every moment, because the wonderful times of our lives always go by more quickly than we'd like.

I learned that lesson when my twins were born. Although they grew considerably slower than puppies, the days still zoomed by, leaving me crying melancholy tears as I packed away clothes they'd outgrown each season.

Year after year, as they grew from infants to toddlers, to preschoolers, to big kids and now teenagers, the same thought has tortured my heart: They'll never be this little again.

My 13-year-old son is millimeters away from outgrowing me,

his twin sister can steal my sweaters and my shoes,

and my youngest, born so tiny just seven years ago, will be big enough to ride even the tallest slides at the water park this year!

My babies, like the puppies, are growing up too fast. But we've taken time this month to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather together, and to build some incredible new memories.

Let our unplanned adventures with the puppies inspire you to slow down and relish life with your own kids. Don't get so wrapped up in the day to day grind that you forget how precious these moments are. Enjoy your kids, and snatch up every chance you get to enjoy them while they're however big they are today.

Are you a lonely mom?

How do you meet people and make new friends?

That was the question I kept asking myself. For years I was a very lonely mom, wondering how I could make friends and develop relationships when all the other moms I met were either too busy to hang out or seemed to already have all the friends they needed.

I loved being a mom, and was thrilled to be able to stay home with my kids, but I felt so isolated without friends to hang out with. My college friends had all gone in different directions over the years, and my closest mom friend was hours away. Although we talked on the phone just about every day, it didn't make up for the loneliness I felt.

Isolated by circumstance

My twins were preemies, born during RSV and flu season, and their doctor insisted that I keep them home, away from germs as much as possible. So I didn't get out of the house much when they were babies. By the time they were active toddlers, it felt like I was outnumbered by far more than two to one whenever I tried to take them out anywhere without my husband or another adult. Besides, it was hard to find mommy and me type activities that were welcoming to mothers of multiples.

I thought that when they started preschool, I would meet other moms, schedule play dates and build some lasting friendships. But it didn't happen.

How to start a local homeschool group

Around five years ago, I decided to start a homeschool group in my community. There was a co-op that met nearby, but I wanted more of an a la carte style group, where people could participate in the activities that interested them and skip the ones they didn't without making a year long commitment.

The response was slow, but we soon grew to several families. Over time, dozens of families joined us, some staying and others moving on, until eventually we grew to a thriving group with nearly 100 families with no sign of slowing down.

Just a small fraction of the families in our group today.

Homeschooling is steadily growing all across the United States, with well over 2 million estimated homeschooled students today and continued growth expected. There are homeschool groups in most large communities across the country, and many areas offer more than one. Even rural areas often have at least one local homeschool group within an easy drive.

If you live in an area without a homeschool group, or the selection of nearby groups is simply not a good fit, you may be considering starting your own. Starting a homeschool group is not so hard, but it will take some patience and dedication. Here are some things to consider.

Puppy update - 4 1/2 weeks and 5 pounds!

The puppies are growing so fast, I can't even believe it. It's so much fun to watch them develop. Since the last update, they've gone from just barely toddling around to running all over the yard and climbing anything they can reach with their strong front paws.

It's hard to get six active puppies in one photograph!

At four and a half weeks old, they weighed in at around five pounds each, give or take a few ounces. The kids got to practice a little bit of math as they stepped on and off the scale, with and without a puppy in hand, to find out how much they weighed. It's very tricky to get a puppy to stand still on a bathroom scale all by itself, you know!

I thought I would share some photos with you and tell you about how the puppies' personalities are developing. Of course, those evolve daily, too.

Here they are, from smallest to biggest...

How to throw a homeschool Valentine's Day party

Each year one of the biggest events my homeschool group holds is our Valentine’s Day party. Parents, and even some of the kids, fondly remember Valentine’s Day parties from their days in public school and thoughts of pink frosted cupcakes, candy hearts and boxes full of valentines stoke their excitement.

From the moment our party was announced this year, families began submitting their RSVPs. Building on the success of last year's party, we're carrying over several of the favorite activites and adding a few new ones as we move to a larger space.

Here are some of the things our homeschool group has done to create successful Valentine's Day parties. I hope these tips can help you have a memorable celebration, too.

Puppy update - three weeks old today

I don't have much to say today. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

It's about 60 degrees in Oklahoma, and we're playing outside with the puppies. 

They turned 3 weeks old today. 

Blue, the lucky little Australian cattle dog, seems very content to let us love on her puppies while she enjoys some time out in the sunshine. I think she's a happy girl!