I have so many reasons to homeschool.

I really only have to see this

to remember.

(One of our less chaotic homeschool moments.) 

I sit on my bed surrounded by stacks of books and four kiddos waiting on a turn with mom.  (Even with independent work, sometimes everyone needs mom all at the same time.)  I work with two at a time.  The kids "in waiting" take turns playing with the toddler or doing a couple chores.  I've been homeschooling for over 10 years!  It's just a part of who our family is now.  I can honestly say that I NEVER contemplate life as anything but a homeschool family.  I deeply believe in it and love it.  It fits our family.

That doesn't mean I don't hyperventilate once in while with thoughts of, "maybe I'm doing this all wrong" or "what if they aren't normal".  (Who the heck is normal, anyway?)  Those moments of panic came a little more frequently this past Fall when our oldest started highschool.  It's been a whole new ballgame for us to figure out.  Do we CLEP, dual enroll, and what to do about driver's education?   

It hit me sometime in 2012 (after Josiah's birth), that I'll be doing this for at least eighteen more years.  28 years!  Too bad I won't have tenure or a retirement.  When we set out on this journey ten years ago, we had no idea I was making a career of it.  I'm kinda proud to realize how much geometry I still understand.  Who knew?  Or maybe it is just answered prayer * ?  Either way, this homeschooling momma is happy to be spending my days doing the work I love. 

* "The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.” Unknown

P.S.  Dear Chief, thank you for making our homeschool a success.  I can't imagine doing this without your support, help, and deep belief that homeschooling is right for our family. 

During a cousin visit a few weeks ago, we enjoyed some awesome field trips!  One of our favorites was the zoo!  This post is some pics from that day along with some of the kid sayings I've heard around my house recently that I want to record for memory. 

"6?  8?  30?  Just kidding, mom."  The answer to 5+2. (Judah)

"Even if you were a spider, we wouldn't squish you."  Birthday sentiments for the Chief. (Emrie)

"Why does she have cracks?"  Yep.  Wrinkles. (Judah)

"But he won't let me preach."  Response to the sweet lady who commented how much she enjoys seeing Judah go up and stand with the Chief during prayer. (Judah)

 "Will you be my pretend girlfriend, so I can tell my friends at school?"  Boy at church to Emrie.

 "Why are girls so pretty?"  (Judah)

Pictures from the Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC.

Cause sometimes we just need to laugh at ourselves. 

I knew in my heart that we would homeschool our children even when our first baby was two months old. I remember mentioning to people that we might homeschool and they’d get all cross eyed, they’d start stammering and talking about GED’s.

When my oldest daughter was turning five and my second daughter was 2 years old, with great fear and trepidation, we became one of "those". 

(Our very first official day of homeschool.)

Our homeschool has grown to include a 14 yr. old who is starting 9th grade, an almost 11 yr. old who is in the midst of 5th grade, 8 yr old in the midst of 2nd grade, and 5yr old starting Kindergarten.   

Lessons I've learned: 

1. "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." 

I would not trade for anything the time that I have with my children. We love our homeschool schedule and the freedom it permits our family. I really know them and they really know me. I know how they spend their days. I know their study strengths and weaknesses. At times I move from one child to the next helping them with preassigned lessons. At other times a school day includes group learning in the form of unit studies. And even at other times, my children pursue their own interests and I facilitate their learning.

2. I have learned that "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

For our homeschooling family, the world is our classroom. Homeschooling is as big and as flexible as our family would like it to be. At home, my oldest daughter who is so creative can create to her heart’s content and still learn math! At home, my middle daughter who needs to move can stand up at a table to do her work. At home, my youngest daughter who does not enjoy concentrating for long periods of time can break her day up into smaller segments. At home, my little kindergarten student thinks school is as fun as "play".

3. And finally, we have learned, "Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." 

"The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think, rather to improve our minds so as to enable us to think for ourselves, rather than load the memory with the thoughts of other men."

Moms and Dads, we can do this. The things we do everyday that don’t seem extraordinary - they are. They make up eternity. Our kids will learn what they need to be well-rounded adults, who make an excellent contribution to society. If they don’t remember all the elements on the periodic chart, it will not alter their quality of life. Instilling character such as respect and honesty.  Instilling a love for our Lord and Savior.  Leading them to a relationship with Jesus. Seeing them accept the free gift of Salvation.  That makes all the difference. That is eternity.

The new school year.

The text books, notebooks, and pencils are purchased. 

Our students are 9th, 5th, 2nd, and K.

We love homeschooling but to be honest, it is harder than you think.  We have to guard our homeschool time closely.  Which means the phone goes unanswered and sometimes the door.  Any good teacher will tell you that answering the cell phone during class time is a BIG no-no!  Of course, we're not all business.  You see, we are probably still in our PJs.  There have to be some perks, right? 

It's exciting to begin anew.  New pencils, new crayons, new markers, new paper, new books...  There is excitement in anticipating the unlimited potential of a new year. 

We want to ask God's blessings as we embark.

Father, we thank you for the gift of these children.  May we show them through our words and our actions our love for them but most of all your love for them.  May we demonstrate to them our love and faith in you.  As they grow on the outside, may they grow on the inside in knowledge and character.  Be with them and help them learn.  Help us to teach them the things you desire.

Friends, may your school year be blessed (whichever way you choose to school your children and whenever your school year starts)!  May all the wonderful promises of a new year be yours!  May your children grow and learn and may God be glorified!

I've lived in the Low Country for two years now and I was convinced that it is always summer here.  But thanks to tropical storm Beryl, it hasn't felt much like summer.  Rain, rain, and more rain!  My flowers and our yard love it.  Come the super hot days of July, I will long for this abundance of rain. 

I'm working on our summer list.  If you don't live life on purpose, the days get away.  I want to be sure we get in lots of summer fun and memories, so, my summer list is in the works. 

Things that should be included?  Picnics, kite flying, beach reading, sand castle building, ballgame watching, fireworks...

How about you?  Whatcha doing this summer?  Give me some inspiration. 

Did you know that children can easily memorize a bible verse just by having an adult say it to them three times each day?  It's true.  Children may also be taught to recognize and write the letters of the alphabet while they are memorizing Scripture.  Bible verses committed to memory in childhood become a part of that child for a lifetime. 

A     All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom. 3:23

B      Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.  Acts 16:31

C      Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Ephesians 6:1

D     Depart from evil, and do good.  Psalm 34:14

E      Even a child is known by his doings.  Proverbs 20:11

F      Fear not, for I am with thee. Isaiah 43:5

G      God is love.  1 John 4:8

H     Honor thy father and thy mother.  Exodus 20:12

I      If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.  John 14:14

J      Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  John 14:6

K      Keep thy tongue from evil.  Psalm 34:13

L      Look unto me, and be ye saved.  Isaiah 45:22

M     My son, give me thine heart.  Proverbs 23:26

N     No one can serve two masters.    Matthew 6:24

O     O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good.  Psalm 118:1

P      Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God.  Psalm 147:1

Q     Quench not the spirit.  I Thessalonians 5:19

R      Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Exodus 20:8

S      Seek ye the Lord while he may be found.  Isaiah 55:6

T      Thou God seest me.  Genesis 16:13

U     Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks.  Psalm 75:1

V      Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  John 16:23 

W     What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.   Psalm 56:3

X     Exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us.  II Peter 1:4

Y      You are the light of the world.  Matthew 5:14

Z      Zion heard, and was glad.  Psalm 97:8

The final exam.  50 words.  Taken randomly from 40 lessons. 

Eight year old fusspot stickler perfectionist misspells three words. 

Honey, you still made an A. 

"Mooommm, not a 100 A+!" 

Her life will never. be. the. same.

Lord, help me... 

Spelling has ruined our lives.

It is hard to believe that this is our seventh year of homeschooling!  Wow! 

Our first year was spent trying to figure what homeschooling "looks" like.  I purchased tiny school desks and set up a school room in our home.  I sought to bring the familiarity of my own public schooling to our home.  One (okay 3) problem(s).  I didn't have a lunch lady, planning period, or janitor.  I did have laundry, housework, babies...  Real life did not wait patiently while we did school.   

Over the years, we've found our groove.  We ditched the school desks because the kids wanted to hang out on their beds or at the kitchen table.  We ditched the packaged curriculum and customized our curriculum to our likes and needs.  We found books we love, love, love!  We put the books we despised in our local used curriculum sale, lol! 

I'm hesitant to even share what a day in our homeschool looks like because,

1.  Every homeschool is different.

2.  What works for me may not work for you - at all.

3.  Not everyday is the same.

Throwing caution to the wind, in hopes of helping others discover what homeschool "looks" like...

A day in the life of our homeschool.

Through no doing of my own (think "willingly") our two oldest start their school bright and early.  At 7:00am, I wake to pitter patter of girls getting out handwriting (we use plain old workbooks from CBD or Veritas Press).  My husband, love his heart, starts breakfast.  I try to find my way to the shower.  If I'm sidetracked by computer stuff or laundry, it's mid-morning before I get my chance. 

After handwriting, they listen to their spelling CD (Excellence in Spelling, Phonetic Zoo).  The littles are munching breakfast and chilling.  The chief has his office in the home.  He's on the computer by now and working. 

At this point (around 8am), one daughter works on chores, has breakfast, and gets ready for the day.  The other daughter will join me on the couch.  We check handwriting and spelling.  We do our grammar (Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind) and reading lessons (McGuffey Readers).  Then they switch. 

Usually around 9:30am, they start on math (Saxon).  They take turns watching their math lesson (Dive CD) on the computer.  If I haven't made it to the shower, this is my chance!  I start laundry, straighten the living room, clean up breakfast, check email, get the littles ready, spend thirty minutes reading/teaching the littles, etc...  If the girls need help with math they'll track me down in the laundry room or wherever.  If I'm not able to help them right away, they'll find dad.   

We currently rotate history (Story of the World) and science (Apologia).  We'll do a unit of one.  When it's finished, we'll do a unit of the other.  The chief does bible with them at bedtime.  They spend time reading for school and pleasure before "lights out".

When we're working, we work hard.  When we're playing, we play hard.  We sleep well at night.