Hi!

My name is Maraly, otherwise known as "Mami Chula."

I have so much fun with my kids every day, and I want to send out to the Universe a good vibe through this window to My House of Learning. Plus I want to create a record by organizing our experiences here on a blog, to then print out as a hard-copy record of family history.

I am a licensed attorney with a Juris Doctor Degree, a Masters in Public Administration, a Bachelors in International Law and Diplomacy, and in European Studies with a minor in Psychology. As a kid in K-12 I was a geek in school, loving every subject from math and science to language and art. I grew up in Mexico and moved to the USA as a teen in order to continue my education because I could no longer do so in Mexico. I have always wanted to make a great impact in the world for good. I have been blessed so greatly by my Heavenly Father. My faith is at the core of who I am.

If you read my journal, you will realize that from the beginning as a toddler I had always desired to find the love of my life. I always wanted to be a mom, perhaps because I myself have such a lovely mami.  The Family, a Proclamation to the World helped me realize that the most lasting impact I can have is in my kids. If I raise great kids, they will in turn affect the world much more than I could alone. I am so greatful for my hubby who is happy to provide for us and protect us, and who is also not blinded by all the possible dough I could bring because of my education. He values what I value: my role as mother in nourishing the heart, minds, and bodies of our little ones.

Philosophy: everything we do daily is something we are learning, weather it be new and inspired or lazy and boring. I want to teach my kids to have a great attitude about work, learning, and service. I don't want to teach my kids to be entitled.  So we better do lots of good things together everyday! Epic things, such as washing the dishes, mopping the floor, reading, imaginative playing, building a city with blocks!

I am loving Montessori, the Family School Online, and the children.lds.org  

For Montessori, I participate in a homeschooling co-op Montessori Bin Exchange. Basically about 10 of us got together with an experienced Montessorian, Ashley Purser, and got an exchange going. The rest of us knew little about Montessori. She gave us a three-hour training, and referred us to online resources such livingmontessorinow.com and Pinterest.  Each of us picked a Unit Study subject, all which happened to be sciences, one music, and one history. And then we took the Summer to prepare Montessori activities for that subject in all Montessori areas (practical life, sensorial, math, language, culture). Putting together one Montessori activity takes effort, resources and creativity. So making a bin full of materials, at least 20 activities, was a great undertaking. BUT, once you had it done, you were ready to participate in the exchange and have materials for the rest of the year! With no further cost, preparation, or time investment needed.  I currently have the cylinders for sensorial that Ashley bought and put in with the American West bin. This exchange has been BRILLIANT!  We meet once a month to trade. So many of the activities you might see come from that exchange. I have of course added a few just for fun, and field trips, etc.  This exchange is what determines the subject we are studying that month.

The Family School Online is a gem! It has strong academics, and gospel principles infused into every lesson. I use this for my opening exercises. I have year one, and also science year two. I am using this in a unit-study kind of way, matching the lessons with the subject of the Montessori exchange. Nourishing the heart and spirit of my children is one of the main reasons why I homeschool. There is not enough time or resources, not to say legal room, in the public setting to learn by faith as well as by study. There is so much evidence in the world of the Plan of Salvation, in science, in math, in history, that I want to live it again.

Children.lds.org, and its parent lds.org, has so many wonderful resources to nourish the spirit of children and give perspective to their lives.

Thank you for stopping by! hope you have a yummy day!