The Caterpillar by Christina G. Rosetti

This is Regan acting out her poem. One of her "classes" is called First Language Lessons, it's a grammar book that teaches parts of speech, dictation, memorization, etc. This is the first poem that Regan had to memorize. She is also, as part of her lessons, supposed to learn how to speak in front of a crowd. I don't think she is gonna have any trouble in that department!

When School Gets Boring

One thing I've been noticing lately...workbooks can be dull. I'm trying to get the kids a good foundation early on, I don't want them to start thinking it's all play and no work. But sometimes, it's just like pulling teeth to get them to sit down and focus on school work. I think we needed a fun break. Luckily for me, there sits my brand new dishwasher box. Now, what is more fun to a kid than a ginormous box?!

So I cut a door in one side, put the bottom on the top to block out the light, grabbed some floor cushions from our reading area and Viola! I'm back to being Fun Mom and not Boring Old School Mom! We all had fun with it. Regan drew pictures inside, so we talked about the nomads and the Egyptians, and how they drew on the cave walls and that's how we know so much about that time. So see, it turned into a school lesson after all!

And even Ricky got in on the lesson!

Nomad Housing

In our history this week, we've learned about nomads and how they moved from place to place and built a home from tree branches and leaves, and that got the kids minds rolling. They wanted to build a nomad hut. Sure, sounds like fun, and since David got a tree-trimmer-on-a-stick-thingie (that's probably not it's technical definition) we've been hacking away at our overgrown trees out front, so we happened to have nomad hut supplies galore.

But, they jumped the gun, and came running inside to tell me that they built their nomad hut, in the back of our fence, which just so happens to be in our not-so-kid-friendly neighbors yard. I let them take some pictures of it, but told them just like the nomads were always on the move, it was time for them to move too, PRONTO! Preferably BEFORE the neighbors got home and found a huge stash of dead tree limbs propped up around their tree.

I hear Regan after she gets it all moved and re-set up in our front yard, "I better make an A on this project!" It was funny, and I'm glad that they enjoyed it so much and learned a lot from history this week. And yes, the hut is still up in the front yard, the neighbors have also enjoyed having a great place to play hide and seek.

Oh, and Regan only wanted her and Riley in the picture, she wasn't too happy that I said our neighbor, Little Tony could be in the picture, and she let it be known. So, we still have to work on our social skills!

Still Swinging

I should say, still trying to get into the swing of things! I originally wanted to do a 4 day work week, I hear this isn't uncommon among HSers. So it's been my goal to get our work done by Friday so we can take off for fun/educational things on Fridays. This week we had a little kink, I had to babysit my 2 nieces, which was fine, but we ended up not doing any work that day. I think the kids are tired of doing workbooks all the time too, so I need to switch some stuff up. Either do some workbooks first, then do something else and come back to it, but I see their eyes glazing over after a while of sitting at the table. The key here is flexibility, right?! But, so far no complaints really, they've been getting their work done, I just think it's going too fast. I keep feeling like I'm forgetting something important, when after 3 hours they're all done, it just seems like it's not enough! They aren't learning enough! But, I think that's also about average, so I need to readjust my thinking on that. I have the list of subjects they need to learn, we have our books, they are learning, I shouldn't worry so much about time and schedules and all that I guess.

We're doing Story of the World vol. 1 and they are really enjoying it. We're studying the Ancients, and right now it's nomads and their lifestyle, so the kids come up with some interesting questions, they want to build a nomadic type house, and eat some weird foods, and all that. I'm glad they are getting into it, and seem to enjoy history as much as I do!

Next week I will have my nephew all week so it will be another lesson in flexibility, we'll see how it goes. He might just get a week of school before school!

Official Start Day

I have been telling the kids that we would start school "officially" the Monday we get back from vacation. The kids went to church camp, David and I went to Vegas, so I felt like it was time to get back in the swing of things. Their old school started last week and they are on the year round schedule and I really want to stick close to that.

My big problem is I still don't have a math curriculum or a grammar curriculum for Riley. Oh well, time to jump in, right?! So it didn't exactly go as I had planned. My plan was somewhat ambitious I guess, I wanted to be up at 8 (which isn't likely to happen after staying up until 1) and have the kids spend a few minutes cleaning up in their room, and then eat breakfast, do our devotional and then start on school.

In actuality, we didn't start until around noon, I passed out the school supplies I bought for the kids, we went over some of the rules, which are basically the same as what they've had in school before, no name calling, no talking while I'm talking, and other than that, I'm pretty flexible. Then I went over the subjects that we'll be doing this year, and let them know if it's too easy or too hard, we can adjust, this is to see where we are. We started off with our Bible Devotional which we all really enjoyed, and they had some things to add that they had learned in church, which makes me think they DO actually listen back there!

I had them each start their Spelling Workout book, chapter one, and they both thought it was super easy, but Regan misspelled one word, and Riley misspelled two, so I think we're okay there. Then I did some grammar work with Regan while Riley worked on some spelling some more, he has twice as many words as Regan so it took him a little longer. We did two lessons in her grammar book because it's a 1st/2nd grade combined book, and I didn't want to start in the middle, so I figured we would double up as much as we can, so she can get a better foundation.

And then I had them each do a few pages in their cursive handwriting books, which they both enjoyed. I know it won't always be this short, easy, or pain free, but for today, I feel like it was a success.

Another thing I did, I got them each a cute mini-notepad, and a pack of smiley face stickers. I told them each time they impress me, either with good behavior or with getting their work done in a timely fashion, I would give them a sticker, they can earn more than one a day, and they won't ever lose any. After one page gets filled (I'm thinking it might take about 15 on Regan's, 20 on Riley's since his notebook was bigger) then they can pick a random toy out of the bag, or a special field trip or treat. I picked up some small items at Target this week too, just for this occasion, so I hope it works. They did pretty good today and they each got one sticker.

And Ricky is our new mascot kitty, he jumped up in the middle of the table and stayed right smack dab in the middle of us until we were all done.

Nerves are Kicking in!

I have decided to start home schooling the first week of August. All of a sudden, I am freaking out. Am I ready? Do I have what I need? Am I *really* going through with this? Sometimes I lay awake at night and worry if I'm making the right decision. My kids don't always get along, are they going to kill each other, or turn on me, while we are "at school"? Lots of questions, no answers until we just jump in.

I have a friend who is also on this journey with me, home schooling different age groups for the first time, and she said she will start with just a couple of basic courses, and slowly add a few in here and there. That sounds like a good plan to me, much better than my original plan, which was to do like I normally do, dive head first without looking! I was thinking we would just do it all from day one, but now I'm rethinking my strategy.

I still need a grammar course for Riley, and I haven't ordered Math yet, but at least with that one, I KNOW which one I'm getting. The grammar, I have no clue. I am thinking I need to make a trip to the bookstore with notebook in hand and find some recommendations. But, I have enough here to keep us busy for a while, if I do decide to take the baby step approach.

But still, when the kids are out playing (which let's face it, doesn't happen all that often right now since it's been hovering between 105-107 for days) but when the house is quiet, and I have time all to myself, I think, wow, I'm really gonna miss them being in school for 7+ hours a day. But then I remind myself why I'm doing this, I want to be closer to my kids, I want to have more input into their lives, I want to get to know them better, and mold them into the people that I think God wants them to be. Then, who cares about a little peace and quiet, right? I have their futures in my hand. Yikes, scary thought!!

I Just Love My Mailman!

I've been checking the mail everyday as packages are arriving now, and I love it. Sometimes I flip through a book and go, "Holy cow, what did I get myself into?" But for the most part it's so exciting. I didn't order a lot of teacher manuals and I think I'm gonna have to go back and get some, a couple of books I got I really don't know how to go about some things.

And of course, I ordered more goodies. I did get the Mona Brooke's Drawing with Children ($8.95) and the complete set of Mind Benders A1-A4 ($7.00 each book) which will be for Riley's Logic course, I got supplements for History and Science, the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia ($19.77) and the Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History ($13.59). For music, A Young Person's Guide to Music, recommended by TWTM for classical music ($3.62) and for Riley, Vocabulary from the Classical Roots 5 ($9.50) and a Handwriting Without Tears Cursive for each kid ($6.95 each).

See, I've been on a roll! I can't wait to get started.

I'm kind of looking at this like I do with new recipes. I see one I like, I try it, and follow it to the 'T'. If I don't like it after that, I know if I should 86 it, or just make some changes to it. I am pretty much following what the Well Trained Mind recommends, to the letter of the law! I have never done this before, so I am just following the recipe I have. After a few weeks, we may hate some, we may love some. Then I can make some changes and try other things. But, at least I have a starting off point, and something to make me not feel so overwhelmed. Even if we just did the books I have right now for this next year, I think they will be getting a FAR superior education to what they are currently getting.

And of course, I will be updating our progress along the way!

Purchases!

I can't believe I did it. I have been SO overwhelmed and so nervous that I would buy the wrong curriculum, and for whatever reason, I feel like this will make us quit homeschooling and run back to the charter school with our tail tucked between our legs! But, I bit the bullet and bought some things. I know I want a classical education for the kids. I have the original Well Trained Mind book. I heard it was better because it recommends several different curriculum options, whereas the newer versions of WTM recommend their curriculum. So, armed with that knowledge, I hit up the Amazon marketplace and found a lot of what they recommend in the "new and used" section.

I also used a website called Rainbow Resources, they have a lot of homeschool curriculum and the best prices on new items that I've found so far, and some have pages you can look at, and reviews from other parents.

From Rainbow I purchased The Story of the World, vol. 1 to use with both kids. I got the paperback teacher edition, the activity book (which says I can make copies for other kids, I may do that or order another copy if I feel the need after looking through it more thoroughly) and a packet of tests. I also purchased English From the Roots Up, flash cards. A few of the reviews I found said that you don't really need the books to go with these, the flash card contain almost all of the information found in the book. Again, if I feel the need to get the book after looking at the flash cards, I will.

Then to the Amazon marketplace, where I went a little crazy. But I don't feel bad when I buy something for 5 or 10 bucks, if we use it, great, if not, I'm not going to feel too guilty for spending money on it.

For Riley, going into 5th grade, I got Writing Strands 4 (for $5.87), probably should have gotten 5, but I think a little back-tracking will be good for him. I don't know exactly what level he will in, since he's very advanced in some areas, and right on target in others. Some of this will be trial and error, another reason I hesitate with spending a lot of money on curriculum right now.

I also got G.U.M Level C for Grammar ($4.19 for student and teacher edition), and the Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia for Natural Science ($7.95) for science, although the more I read the Well Trained Mind, I think that will be more for Regan, and I thought I would be combining science for both kids. Either way, one of them now has a science book.

I also got Spelling Workout B ($3.50) for Regan, and Spelling Workout E ($5.49) for Riley, no teacher manuals because A) I'm a pretty good speller, and B) a few reviews said you don't need them until the upper grades. Not sure if 5th qualifies as an upper grade, so we'll see how it is when it comes in, then I might order it.

And lastly, First Language Lessons for Regan, ($9.88). So, not bad prices, and I got a lot covered. There are still a few more I'm on the fence about. I was looking at Mona Brook's Drawing with Children, I need a cursive handwriting book for Regan, and probably some type of penmanship book for Riley. I'm also thinking about Vocabulary from the Roots Up for Riley. I also need a Logic course for him, WTM recommends Mind Benders and A Case of Red Herrings, so I'm looking into those as well.

But overall I think I'm off to a good start, and not feeling too overwhelmed anymore. I know not all of these will work for us, we might have to switch to something else, but for now, I have a game plan. Now, I need to start working on a daily schedule and see how our plans shape up, and if all I want to do with the kids can be done on a 4 day week like I originally planned. It's certainly a lot of work to get going, but I am already so excited because I really feel like they will be getting a much better education.

First Homeschool Meeting

I joined a local home school group, that a friend told me about, and went to my first meeting tonight, joined the group "officially" and all that! It was a curriculum show and tell, so probably one of the best first meetings to go to! Everyone brought their curriculum, laid it out on tables so we could walk around and look at things, people would stand up and share what they've used, what they like, don't like, what was good for their kids, what type of learning style it works best for, etc. I have a few curriculum choices already made, but nothing purchased, but it was good to see the ones I want, and get confirmation that I chose a good one! I'm slowly but surely making my way down the list of things we need. The bad thing was, I thought I had it narrowed down to one or two, and after the meeting I realized there are a few more options to look at.

But, for math, I've decided on one called Math U See. I've heard nothing but good things about it, and I think it will work for both kids, since it seems to be a very hands on type program. I know Riley has a kinesthetic learning style, so it should be great for him, Regan I think is auditory, but I'm not sure, and I am not sure how well her math skills are at this point, so I think at least it will be a good starting point for us.

The history, the "main" part of our curriculum is still up for debate. I am vacillating between My Father's World and Story of the World, which is from the Well Trained Mind. I've gotten good reports on both, I know I want to do the 4 year cycle of history, but I am still on the fence.

And that's about all I have narrowed down so far. There is still Language Arts, Latin, and Science, and those will probably have to be more specific for their grades, so I don't really have an idea. But, I'm counting on going to some sort of curriculum fair or home school conference to see more of them hands on, and hopefully that will help, or more likely, overwhelm me further!

But it's exciting. I can't wait to get books in my hand and start the process. I never in a million years considered home school and now that I have made the decision, I can't wait to start. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

The Big Debate

Every day I wake up and wonder...should I take Riley out of school now, or wait until he finishes his fourth grade year? I'm not too worried about Regan, I know she has plenty of time to catch up whatever area she may be lacking in. But Riley, I feel like the past three years have been like playing Chutes and Ladders, and losing. We just keep sliding back farther and farther.

I'm not a quitter. I don't let my kids quit either. I'm not sure where I got this from, because my parents were both of the opinion that we should quit anything, anytime, as it usually meant less money and less driving for them. My kids have had to stick it out for a lot of things. Mostly Regan, she wants to try something just once, and then she's done. Like soccer, and I hauled her butt to every game and every practice for a couple of months, kicking and screaming all the way. You sign up for something, you follow it through, no matter how much you hate it. You made a commitment to the team, and the coach, now get out there!

And most recently Riley. He signed up for Agents in Action at church, where kids could help out in different areas around the church. I told him SO many times the area I thought he would like the most, but it was one of those things, he made the decision (to help in the children's church with kids around 3-4 years old) and I knew he would be over it in a matter of weeks, and sure enough, every time he's supposed to serve, he wants to go with his friends who are helping in the store. Sorry kid, you made your bed, now lie in it! I'm hoping they will learn to stick to things, your word is important, if you say you'll do something, you do it, no matter how badly you want to quit or give up.

So, the thought of just giving up on 4th grade, I can't reconcile myself with it, but every day I feel like I'm sending him off to 7 hours of wasted life. Throw in some bad friends, a few trips to the principal's office, a couple days of ISS, what is he really going to miss by not going the last 2 months of school? Especially now that I've made up my mind to home school, I'm anxious to get on with it. The times that he's here with me, doing his homework, and we sit down together and work on it, I see the smart kid he used to be, shining through. Not that he isn't smart anymore, he is, so scary smart, but I feel like where he's at now has stifled him so much that it takes time, and attention, personal attention to get that smart boy out again.

That's my internal debate. I still don't know what to do. I know when I have both of them home at the same time, life will not be peachy keen. I have the only siblings on the planet that like to fight with each other. It will be interesting to say the least. But, I just wonder if 2 months of dedicated one on one time will help him out, or if just going through the motions, and letting him finish 4th grade, TAKS and all, will help communicate the message that we are NOT quitters! And which is more important in the long run?

Overwhelmed!

I'm somewhat anal about research. When we planned a trip to Disney World, I had lists for each day, each park, each ride. I researched the rides to find out which would be suitable for the kids age/height, which ones we HAD to ride, which ones to ride if we had time to kill, and which ones were low on the list, to do ONLY if we had nothing else going on. Which park had the best restaurants, the best bathrooms, the best fireworks shows, etc. You get my point? Sadly, I'm not exaggerating. I like to research.

So, I've googled every book on home schooling, gotten several books at the library, joined just about every Yahoo group in Austin and the surrounding areas, from Classical Education groups to "unschooling" groups, even some field trip groups. I've bookmarked every website I've come across that even has the words "home school" on it. I've talked to every person I know that home schools, about schedules, curriculum, and what they would do differently.

I don't think you can ever know enough about anything, but especially when it comes to my kid's education, I'm probably a little over thinking it. But I can't help feeling like I just want the absolute best, and want my kids to just take to it and love it, and all of us to be happy and for everything to just magically *click* because I picked the right curriculum.

I realize I'm a bit obsessive also. But, like I said, this is my kid's education at stake!! This determines whether or not they get into college, or end up living with us the rest of their lives (God, no!) So, how do you just take the plunge and pick one? There are pros and cons to every curriculum I've looked at, and I just get anxiety when I think that I will actually have to BUY something SOON!

And as usual, I get overwhelmed, and say, like Scarlett O'Hara, "I'll think about that tomorrow!"

Well Trained Mind

My WTM book came in the mail today! I'm so excited. I feel like I've been waiting on this book before I can decide which curriculum to use. I'm hoping this clicks it all into place for me. I know I want to be an active home schooler, I know I want to do things "outside the box" and I know I want a Christian based, VERY academic curriculum, and so far I've found some that fit the bill, but I'm also hoping I can find something that will allow me to teach both my kids together, somewhat. I know they will be on different levels with math, spelling, writing, etc. But it would be nice if our core curriculum could be the same, and expound on it with my oldest.

So, in my quest to find the WTM at the library, I found a book called The Trouble with Boys, by Peg Tyre, and it's quite the eye opener. It's talking about how our school system is just set up to make boys fail, how boys are diagnosed with learning disorders at a much higher rate than girls, and how teachers just can't handle active boys in the classroom. Every page is like a new "Aha!" moment for me. Riley has been "officially" diagnosed as ADHD, and I've stubbornly refused to have him medicated, maybe against my better judgment, but I just refuse to medicate my kids based on the fact that he's a little extra work for the teacher. I know it's hard, I know he's active, but surely there is a way to appeal to him, to get him interested in learning, without drugging him up and making him sit still and quiet like a little soldier. There just has to be a better way.

I'm hoping that through home schooling I can learn his learning style, which I' m thinking is kinesthetic, and help him with his truly active side, and still have him learn what he needs. I will only have 2 students, surely this is possible, right? Regan is probably a little on the hyper side as well, so we may be on the go a whole lot!

Anyway, I'm so excited to have The Well Trained Mind and get ideas and have an outline of how it should be. I feel like I'm finally on the right track here!

The Questions Begin

I was talking to a friend today, from my kid's school, who knows I'm taking my kids out of their school at the end of this year. She asked me what my plan was for the next school year and when I told her "Home School!" the questions began! This was my first time to be "under fire" for my decision but I felt like I had some good answers for her.

Question #1: "Math is hard, I could never teach that, how are you going to keep up with what they are learning and be able to teach that?"

My Answer: I know math is hard! And to make it worse, I HATE MATH! I'm really not looking forward to teaching it. BUT, I've found so many options, online curriculum, one day schools, comprehensive teacher guides, that make it a possibility. This question didn't bother me so much because it was one of my main obstacles to consider in home schooling also.

Question #2: "What about socialization?"

My Answer: Again, this was a big issue for me also, my daughter is a social butterfly and honestly I'm concerned about my ear drums because I know she will talk them off, ALL.DAY.LONG! But, I am looking at their current situation for socialization, Regan tells me that someone in her class told her all about S-E-X (and yes, she spelled it). A boy chases her around the playground wanting to "make sexy" and kiss her. A girl, whose father owns a strip club, is always trying to scare Regan by telling her a bunch of ghost stories, many of which have her coming to our bed in the middle of the night.

Riley on the other hand, alternates between victim and bully, according to his teacher. He tells the teacher when a kid hits him, and she tells him to ignore it, so when the kid repeatedly hits him, and he finally hits back, he gets ISS and a referral. The kids in his class are either way behind, make fun of him for being the smallest in the class, or use one hand to hold their pants up. Again, not the environment I want my kids learning socialization.

We are a Christian, God-fearing family. I want my kids to learn how to respect each other, and other people, no matter who they are or what they believe. I don't think they learn that in a school with other kids being mean and hateful and following the pack mentality. I am looking forward to home school mainly for this reason, to instill in them some Godly character, to expect more from them than the school does. To hold them to a higher standard than they've been held to, and for them to learn to love and serve others, no matter their differences. How is that a bad thing?

Question #3: "What about a schedule? I think kids need to learn how to be on a schedule!"

My Answer: I intend of having a schedule! In this technological age, there are so many jobs that aren't 9-5, my husband has one of them. He works for the state and works from home a lot of the time. Not that he sleeps in and works whenever, but there is a tremendous amount of flexibility in his schedule. I plan on getting up in the morning (not as early as before, because my kids are like me, NOT morning people, and I'm tired of the fighting, hateful words that early in the morning!) but we will still be up early-ish, dressed, and they can learn about doing their chores before they start school, something they don't have time for now. They can get all their school work done in a much shorter time frame than in regular school, and still have time for study trips or sports activities.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that public schools and prisons are run very much the same way? I don't want my kids incarcerated for the next 8-10 years!

So, those are my answers, for what it's worth. I know everyone home schools for different reasons, and mine may be different than someone elses. But, I'm doing what I feel is best for MY kids at this time. Next year might be another story, but we're taking this one year at a time, I have a feeling sometimes it will be one day at a time!

God Speaks...

So my last post was a bit of whining from me about giving up my *me* time to home school, and literally, not 10 minutes later, I was checking into some of my friends blogs and found one of them posted this article:


The "Me Time" Myth
Amy Roberts
The Old Schoolhouse

I once heard a talk show host give a very compelling argument for why moms need time away. He said mothers give and give to the point of empty. They must refuel themselves so they can continue to give.

It sounded quite reasonable to me. Then why did my search for this hallowed “me time” always leave me feeling as though I needed more? While taking time for myself, I definitely felt refreshed, but the moment I got home and realized the sink was still full of dirty dishes and I would still have to give baths to all the children before the night would be over, I wanted to head right back out the door.

This left me feeling sorry for myself. Why couldn’t I have one night where I wouldn’t have to do the same things I do every night? Why couldn’t I come home to a spotless and trouble-free place where dishes were washed and children were in bed? Why did I have to go back to my duties so soon? To punish those who were making my life difficult, I would loudly sling dishes and be curt and hurried with everyone until I could get children into bed and escape to the sewing room or the computer for the remainder of the evening.

The next morning, feeling dissatisfied with the amount of me time from the evening prior, I would take my coffee, sit at the computer, and completely ignore my daily duties. I would get irritated with the children because their antics were cutting into my time. I was stressed and edgy and desperate for more. My children would call out for me and I would answer, “She’s not here right now.”

Then, I began staying up much too late in order to squeeze in more alone time. I dreaded going to bed because it meant waking up to children’s needs and a disaster of a house.

I became increasingly upset by my husband’s time off from work, along with the business lunches and the business trips. To compensate for the perceived unfairness of the situation, I chose to do nothing on weekends: no laundry, no dishes, no parenting. Soon, my weekends were spilling over both ends and into the weekdays. All of this only served to overwhelm me even more and feed into my desire to escape.

In a moment of clarity, as only the Lord can offer, I saw my behavior for what it truly was: selfishness. Along with this epiphany came the conviction to quit seeking Me Time.

Me Time is a myth. It is an unattainable, always interruptible, never satisfying piece of junk psychology. Me Time, by its very name, suggests that who we are during the daily grind is not who we truly are. It begs us to search for fulfillment outside of the titles of “wife” and “mother.” It accuses precious little ones and God-given spouses for suppressing us. It reduces motherhood to a disease in which little dirty faces and endless monotonous tasks slowly suck the life out of us. It says we can never be refreshed by spending time in the presence of those we care for day in and day out. It points out a perceived hole in our world that needs to be filled, a tank that must be refueled, a monster that will swallow us if we neglect to feed it Me Time.

The more we indulge the thought that we are somehow owed this time away, the more we will seek after it. The more we seek after it, the more every little opportunity afforded us to take a break will seemingly end too quickly. The everyday life of being a mother will become drudgery. We will dread every aspect of this role. We will snap at our children any time they try to draw us out of our precious time alone. Not getting this time will ruin our day, and if we do manage some time away, we will despise the re-entry.

However, with any lie, there is a certain amount of truth hidden within. There is an emptiness within us that needs to be filled, but only God can fill what you are aching for.

“The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Lamentations 3:24–25

Our time away should be spent seeking Him. Anything else we try to fill that emptiness with will fall miserably short. Likewise, the company we seek during our time away should be spent with people who are about the business of edifying and strengthening us in our role as wife and mother, not tearing at the very foundation of our home. We will never gain anything but resentment from the counsel of those who encourage us to seek self.

We must cease to see the role of wife and mother as a job we put aside at the end of the day. We must do our daily tasks cheerfully, as unto the Lord. We must learn to enjoy being home with our families. We must find contentment in serving others. We should spend more time drinking in the beauty of our children, searching their eyes, holding their hands, being Mom. When we do feel neglected or overworked, we must immediately seek the Lord to refresh us and keep us from sin.

There will be days when we are afforded opportunities to do things alone or with other women, but if we are content in our God-given role, we will no longer cling so tightly to these moments as the only way to save our sanity. Our need for Me Time will fade as we begin to see motherhood as a blessing not to be escaped, but embraced.

Published on January 26, 2009

Now, I'm not saying anything against anybody who does have "me time" on a regular basis. But for me, this article really hit home. It's something that my husband and I have argued about in the past, that I feel like I never have time to myself, just to sit and relax and maybe sometimes eat a hot meal! But like this article says, I need to be content in my relationship with God, and my relationship with my kids, and not begrudge the role of wife and mother that I wanted so badly to be. I am thankful that I have my two, happy, healthy (if at times rambunctious) kids. I was told by a few doctors that I wouldn't be able to have children, so they really are the blessings of the Lord. Why do I try to hard to get away from them at times?

Anyway, I just really felt like this was speaking to me, and I hope it speaks to others as well. I am now at peace with my decision to home school, no matter how much of myself I have to give up. I know that my relationship with David is a priority and I will keep that the most important thing, next to my relationship with God, and everything else will fall into place!

PANIC

Just when I think "I can do this" something else crops up to make me think, "Holy Cow, what am I getting myself into?"

It's little things, like, me and my husband have a standing breakfast date every week at our local favorite, Cafe Java. That will be out if I'm home schooling. Sometimes we meet for lunch during the week, and sometimes we *shock* come home and take a nap (wink, wink). I'm just seeing a lot of quality time with my husband going down the drain. Not that I think my kids education should be less than what it should be just so hubby and I can have some breakfast tacos in peace, but it does scare me, the amount of *me* time that I will be giving up.

I really do need to look at this as an investment in their future I guess. But goodness, if they keep fighting with each other like they do now, our school might include some duct taped mouths and boxing gloves or something.

So how do parents that home school make time for each other? We hardly ever go out at night. We've never paid a babysitter, we use family infrequently, and enjoy going during the day when it's never busy and we can have quiet time to talk and reconnect. Something else for me to really think about and plan into our home school time.

Narrowing the Field?

I thought I had narrowed the field some. I was leaning towards Switched on Schoolhouse (computer based) or Lifepacs (workbooks), both from Alpha Omega Publishing. I was also looking at My Father's World, which would be convenient because it allows one to teach multiple kids the same curriculum, I would just supplement age-appropriate math. Which math is a whole other question, although I am leaning towards Math-U-See, but David likes the idea of Singapore Math (since he will most likely have to do the math lessons, I should probably let him choose). I don't think either one of my kids is strong enough in math to jump to Singapore Math just yet.

I looked at online schools like Abeka and Christian Liberty Academy (which ironically enough, is where my little brother graduated from home-high school about 15 years ago). The issue there is, they are quite pricey, and again, not too sure about sitting in front of a computer all day. The upside is, I wouldn't have to "teach" and could just be there as backup. But, it's not quite sitting well with me.

Then I found a website called AmbleSide Online which outlines all you need for a Classical Christian education. I'm liking the sound of that. I really need, at this point, to read the book, "The Well Trained Mind" but that would require me either finding the overdue library book, or going to pay my fine (I'm going to pay it, I really am, I just haven't been by there when they are OPEN). I should probably just buy the darn thing.

So that opens many more options, are we going to try and give our kids the very best education possible, which may be the Classical approach? Or take an easier route, maybe not quite as challenging, and buy a kit or something they can be taught together? Again: options, options. I am trying to take this one year at a time, and not look at it like I'm going to be home schooling them till they graduate, but just worry about this particular year for right now.

But that's not helping me either. I still have a few months before we are making the leap, so I know I have plenty of time, but I am also very anxious to get what we need and start going through it, making lesson plans, and supplementing over the summer, because I really feel both kids are behind where they should be at this point.

What's the Plural of Curriculum?

Curricula? Anyway, I had NO IDEA there were so many to choose from! I'm already mind-boggled. The first choice seems to be, do I want a computer based or workbook based curriculum? I think the computer based might be good for Riley, since he likes to be on the computer all day anyway, but Regan, who isn't the strongest reader, and would probably veer off into Webkinz land every time I look away, that might not be a good option for her.

I know I want a Christian based curriculum. I figure we'll try process of elimination. Of course, I don't know how many are NOT Christian based, so that doesn't help much either. I'm literally starting from scratch. I think talking with other people who have done this will help, but I am realizing every single person has used a different curriculum, and they all say theirs is the best. I wanted someone to say, "I use this, it's perfect, you should use it too." But I'm getting a lot of, "what works for us might not work for you" statements and now that makes me nervous too!

Then I thought I had it narrowed down to 4 or 5 and found a website that has reviews and Holy Cow there's even more than I thought! More to cross off my list. I don't know if it's normal but I feel this is the "key" to home schooling. If I find the right curriculum, it will all fall into place and make this an easy decision for us. But if I choose the wrong one, the kids will hate it, I'll hate teaching it, and nothing will get done and we're worse off than before. No pressure though, right?

Then I read about a "Classical" education, okay, I'm liking this idea. Seems like a LOT more work though, for me, and hey, no big deal, I'm committed to this, I know I can do it, but again, is this THE RIGHT way to go?

Should I get a kit that includes the entire year of books, sign up for a computer based school, use a one day program where the kids go for one day and get all the instruction and work on the rest at home, mix and match curriculum based on their individual needs, or what? Seriously, someone tell me cause I still have no idea!

To Home School or NOT to Home School?

This has been a HUGE dilemma for me. I have always been pretty anti-home school, mostly because it seemed the kids I saw who were home schooled were not the smartest kids, they were stuck like glue to their mama's (not in a healthy way) and just not who I wanted my kids to be like.

I was about as adamant against public school as I was against home school, if that was possible. But, after being in a local charter school since both my kids started kindergarten, I feel like it is time for a change. I don't feel like they are growing academically the way they should, and the really big issue for me, I don't really like what I see they are becoming as people. They are out of my hands for around 8 hours a day, and being molded and shaped into people I don't recognize. Who are these strange kids coming home every day, learning new (and not great) words, fighting, displaying the opposite of the Christian character we try to instill in them as much as possible?

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to turn them into brainless robots that believe the exact way we do, and act exactly as we tell them. Of course anyone who knows my kids, knows that that would be next to impossible anyway, can we say strong willed? But I just don't like the influence they are under for the majority of their lives.

So, what are my options at this point? My son, my super smart, funny, sweet little boy, who is officially diagnosed as "ADHD" is drowning in school right now. He finished 1st grade able to do 4th grade work, and now that he's IN 4th grade, with the lack of challenge he's had in the past few years, he's now BEHIND in 4th grade work. My daughter, my loud, stubborn, forceful daughter, is in 1st grade and thinks school is where you get to play with your friends for 8 hours.

I looked at our local public school, briefly. I checked their ratings with the TEA and saw that it is not exactly a highly rated school, and not only that, in one short year my son would be going into middle school, which scares the living daylights out of me! Maybe my own middle school days still haunt me some (and they weren't fun).

I looked at private schools, several in particular and we came to the conclusion that we would have to sell one child to pay for the other one to have a decent education! Not quite willing to go down that route yet, that left me with one glaring option: home school. Ah, has it come to this??

So, I thought about starting this blog to help me help others who might come to this decision as well. I plan on documenting my struggles to pick out the best curriculum, figure out our schedule, find other home school families in our area, and how we're coming along. Please feel free to leave comments for me if you have any suggestions or think you can help. I'm new at this, and I want as much help as possible!