Merry Christmas! We've had a wonderful season! I have to say that the whole time, I kept thinking about the people in Newtown, CT. It really put things in perspective. On my ever-growing list of things to do, burying my child (sibling/friend/mom/sister) was NOT on my list. How forever changed are the lives of those who survived. The children, especially; their innocence shattered. I just kept looking at all of my kids, my husband, my parents and thinking, 'This is so good. The only gift I need.' Now, I'm looking forward to 2013.
I do like to make resolutions. Sometimes they don't stick, yes, but if you never set goals, there's nothing to reach for. My resolution for 2013 will be to drink more water. I don't drink enough water and I think it would be very good for me. The big hurdle here is, I have tried before and failed. What I do is carry water with me every where, but I'm not drinking it. The same camelbak follows me around all day with the same water in it. I have to actually drink it...it's not enough to carry it around with me. Also, I've heard it's better to sip water continually all day than to down a glass 8 times a day. Your body needs constant hydration and it can't absorb it that fast so better to sip. Wish me luck.
I am SO enjoying being off everything for a week. No school, no work, no dance. It's wonderful. Work and dance resume the 2nd of January. Our school doesn't resume till the following Monday. I love to use this break to revamp some things and begin again with a fresh look at this 2nd semester. Ruth will be ready for 4th grade come the end of March so we will be wrapping things up and I'll need to start her in her new books in April. She's probably ready now, but I have a hard time leaving books unfinished. No rush.
Jane is going to be starting a sewing class at a different co-op on Tuesdays. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm nervous about her liking it and about how that's going to affect our schedule. Tuesday has been our one quiet day each week. Still, this has been a year of trying new things and then we'll make adjustments for next year. Jane has done some awesome reading over this Christmas break so maybe I need to rethink her reading assignments. More on that later.
I gotta go; my 16 year old, Sam, wants me to give him a haircut (it's just a buzz). I blog more when I'm back at work on the 2nd (then I can rest; hee hee). Hope this Christmas Season is filled with quiet blessings that remind you that the best things in life are free and I hope that 2013 is a year of peace and good health.
Musings on the daily trials and triumphs of a homeschool family.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Updates
As I blogged about not so long ago, I gave Jane a reading assignment with incentives for finishing and consequences for not. Well, she started off strong. She read the first book called, 'Fever,' in about a week. She was certain she was not going to like it, but about 2 chapters in, she couldn't put it down. She wrote an awesome book report on it that I thoroughly enjoyed and proceeded to start the 2nd book. She was supposed to read 3 books that I chose (all historical fiction) in 6 weeks with completed book reports. We are at the end of the six weeks and she still hasn't finished the 2nd book. I don't think she's ever gotten past the 2nd chapter.
So the consequence I told her about was no t.v. How do I enforce that when I'm not there? And for what time period? My husband says it should last until she finishes the assignment. Hmmm....that could work. The bottom line though is she has to decide to do the work. That's true of a child at school as well. Few kids who are doing poorly in school are unintelligent. Mostly, they just need to decide to do the work; to care.
In all fairness to her, I did pick Nutcracker time to decide what to do about her reading. Her regular dance schedule is 6.5 hours of dance a week, but during nutcracker, she's up there about 12 hours a week. Still, no excuses, right? I mean, if she were at school, there would be consequences. Maybe I should just give her a failing grade and move on? But that's not why or how I want to homeschool. So, I'm going to have to think about what to do. I have spoken with Jane about this. She suggested that she could do all her reading over the summer. It's not a bad suggestion, I'll just have to think about whether that will work.
On the bright side, I am so excited to see how well she is doing in her co-op classes and in her Algebra. She is a smart girl! I confess, I, like every parent, worry about how my kid will do in highschool. But even more so when it's the first time she's taken a class outside of home. She's doing great and I think she also is relieved and pleased!
The one who is really going to benefit from my working 16 hours a week is Ruth. She was born an independent spirit, but she is really doing well managing her school work in 3rd grade! She had her first piano recital last Saturday and she did great. I knew she wouldn't be too nervous; she's danced on stage twice now. But she did her piece perfectly and her duet with the teacher perfectly. She's something else! I was so glad that two of her older brothers came (the other one is away at college).
Well, our tree is up and decorated, the house decorations are up, most of my shopping is done and most of that, wrapped, and a few batches of cookies are made. All I could think about as we decorated was how blessed I am to have my family with me. With my son's friend gone, a woman from work dying suddenly, and the mall shooting this week, I am more aware that the real gift for me this year and every year is the family that surrounds me. Even with all the issues that come with marriage and raising kids, at the end of the day, I have my husband and my five kids and my parents and my sisters with me....there's nothing else I want.
So the consequence I told her about was no t.v. How do I enforce that when I'm not there? And for what time period? My husband says it should last until she finishes the assignment. Hmmm....that could work. The bottom line though is she has to decide to do the work. That's true of a child at school as well. Few kids who are doing poorly in school are unintelligent. Mostly, they just need to decide to do the work; to care.
In all fairness to her, I did pick Nutcracker time to decide what to do about her reading. Her regular dance schedule is 6.5 hours of dance a week, but during nutcracker, she's up there about 12 hours a week. Still, no excuses, right? I mean, if she were at school, there would be consequences. Maybe I should just give her a failing grade and move on? But that's not why or how I want to homeschool. So, I'm going to have to think about what to do. I have spoken with Jane about this. She suggested that she could do all her reading over the summer. It's not a bad suggestion, I'll just have to think about whether that will work.
On the bright side, I am so excited to see how well she is doing in her co-op classes and in her Algebra. She is a smart girl! I confess, I, like every parent, worry about how my kid will do in highschool. But even more so when it's the first time she's taken a class outside of home. She's doing great and I think she also is relieved and pleased!
The one who is really going to benefit from my working 16 hours a week is Ruth. She was born an independent spirit, but she is really doing well managing her school work in 3rd grade! She had her first piano recital last Saturday and she did great. I knew she wouldn't be too nervous; she's danced on stage twice now. But she did her piece perfectly and her duet with the teacher perfectly. She's something else! I was so glad that two of her older brothers came (the other one is away at college).
Well, our tree is up and decorated, the house decorations are up, most of my shopping is done and most of that, wrapped, and a few batches of cookies are made. All I could think about as we decorated was how blessed I am to have my family with me. With my son's friend gone, a woman from work dying suddenly, and the mall shooting this week, I am more aware that the real gift for me this year and every year is the family that surrounds me. Even with all the issues that come with marriage and raising kids, at the end of the day, I have my husband and my five kids and my parents and my sisters with me....there's nothing else I want.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Not enough hours in the day....
It's been a rough two weeks. I love this new job; the girls and Sam are doing great with my working. Marty and I have worked out a schedule that seems to get everything done. But two weeks ago the gal who works in the mail room and is in the reserves, got called up for two weeks duty in our state's capitol. So, that meant lots more hours. On top of that, we sold two cars on craig's list and bought two replacement vehicles over the last 18 days! But the worst, what has been especially difficult, is that a good friend of our son killed himself. It hit all of us very hard. Our son, Leo, had known this young man all through highschool and had roomed with him last year. We brought our son home as soon as he found out (which was the morning after it happened) and he stayed two days but was unable to make the mass. I went to the memorial service and it was so beautiful and so awful at the same time. I wonder if I have been meeting the needs of my students sufficiently during these busy, stressful two weeks.
I remember other homeschool moms I've known that have had difficult times. One in particular whose kids are older than my own and experienced the death of both of her parents in the same year. I was amazed at her calmness during her "juggling act" and she explained that after many years of homeschooling she understood that the kids manage to continue learning even through hectic times. All those little things, all those conversations, the advice over the years, I tuck it all away and low and behold it comes back to me at the appropriate times. That's why it is so important to have support, talk to people, seek out advice; we are not meant to be alone.
When I started homeschooling, I used a book called "Managers of their Homes" (I've got a link to their site below). It was written by a homeschooling family to help other homeschoolers schedule their day in order to get everything done that needed to be done. It's tricky, because you don't want to be a slave to the schedule; that could make you very unhappy. The schedule is a tool designed to help. I loved it and it really did help me juggle all the needs of my 3 students and 2 year old at the time. The idea is to outline all that needs to be done for each person in the family and then break it up in 1/2 hour - hour increments and plan it out. You count everything: sleeping, eating, school work, chores, playtime, baths, everything. NEVER did it go exactly as it looked on paper when I was done with my "master schedule," but it was a guide to try and follow. I've stopped using it, but my mind still is governed by the idea that each day I strive to get done what God intends. Seldom if ever are there enough hours in the day to get everything done that is on the list of things to do. On my best days, I say over and over in my head "What should I do now, Lord?" Otherwise, I feel like I'm just running from one thing to the next and at the end of those days, I feel frustrated, unsatisfied. I "feel" like there are not enough hours in the day, but I "trust" that there ARE enough hours for what God intends for me to accomplish.
One of the days that I came home from work, the girls hadn't managed their time so well. Some school work was unfinished ("Well, I had questions and didn't know what to do.") and chores were not all complete ("I didn't know which sink you meant for me to clean.") and I got all crabby. I started lecturing and stomping around and just generally making them feel bad for having had a bad day. In reality, we have bad days even when I am home and even before I started working. Well, poor Jane gets teary eyed and I realize, I'm not doing what God would guide me to do, I'm doing what I think "needs" to be done. What my girls needed was reassurance. I didn't need to spend the precious few hours I've had for them the past two weeks making them feel bad. I quickly reversed gears and calmed down and acknowledged that it was just my own nervousness and stress that had me all crabby. I forgot to take a deep breath when I got home and say, "What now, God?"
I am only one person. I can only do so much. I want at the end of the day to have the peace that comes from knowing that I got done what God needed me to get done. The rest will wait until tomorrow.
I remember other homeschool moms I've known that have had difficult times. One in particular whose kids are older than my own and experienced the death of both of her parents in the same year. I was amazed at her calmness during her "juggling act" and she explained that after many years of homeschooling she understood that the kids manage to continue learning even through hectic times. All those little things, all those conversations, the advice over the years, I tuck it all away and low and behold it comes back to me at the appropriate times. That's why it is so important to have support, talk to people, seek out advice; we are not meant to be alone.
When I started homeschooling, I used a book called "Managers of their Homes" (I've got a link to their site below). It was written by a homeschooling family to help other homeschoolers schedule their day in order to get everything done that needed to be done. It's tricky, because you don't want to be a slave to the schedule; that could make you very unhappy. The schedule is a tool designed to help. I loved it and it really did help me juggle all the needs of my 3 students and 2 year old at the time. The idea is to outline all that needs to be done for each person in the family and then break it up in 1/2 hour - hour increments and plan it out. You count everything: sleeping, eating, school work, chores, playtime, baths, everything. NEVER did it go exactly as it looked on paper when I was done with my "master schedule," but it was a guide to try and follow. I've stopped using it, but my mind still is governed by the idea that each day I strive to get done what God intends. Seldom if ever are there enough hours in the day to get everything done that is on the list of things to do. On my best days, I say over and over in my head "What should I do now, Lord?" Otherwise, I feel like I'm just running from one thing to the next and at the end of those days, I feel frustrated, unsatisfied. I "feel" like there are not enough hours in the day, but I "trust" that there ARE enough hours for what God intends for me to accomplish.
One of the days that I came home from work, the girls hadn't managed their time so well. Some school work was unfinished ("Well, I had questions and didn't know what to do.") and chores were not all complete ("I didn't know which sink you meant for me to clean.") and I got all crabby. I started lecturing and stomping around and just generally making them feel bad for having had a bad day. In reality, we have bad days even when I am home and even before I started working. Well, poor Jane gets teary eyed and I realize, I'm not doing what God would guide me to do, I'm doing what I think "needs" to be done. What my girls needed was reassurance. I didn't need to spend the precious few hours I've had for them the past two weeks making them feel bad. I quickly reversed gears and calmed down and acknowledged that it was just my own nervousness and stress that had me all crabby. I forgot to take a deep breath when I got home and say, "What now, God?"
I am only one person. I can only do so much. I want at the end of the day to have the peace that comes from knowing that I got done what God needed me to get done. The rest will wait until tomorrow.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Struggles
Here's what I'm really struggling with. I can't get Jane to read. She is an avid reader and reads great big books and consumes them quickly. But as soon as there's a hint of me wanting her to read something...then she doesn't want to read it. I've been patient. Given her time to mentally adjust. Agreed that she could read a "fun" book and a book for school at the same time. Nevermind my argument that a school book could be "fun." Why waste my breath? Offered her a huge list from which to pick; a list I didn't create but a compilation of homeschool teen's favorites. I've taken her to the library to choose for herself, but she just comes back with fiction. I finally told her that if she wouldn't choose, I'll choose and she'll have to read it. She agrees and I choose and nothing gets read.
This isn't about homeschooling. (I can hear all the people out there saying, "See. This is why it would never work. I could never get my kid's cooperation.") This is about her relationship with me. We've always had a sort of push-pull relationship. It has affected the school situation, but this one is trickier, because it's not in a textbook; it's not outlined in a lesson plan. Also, you can see an unfinished lesson or worksheet. It's harder to "see" an unread book.
I guess I'll have to assign several books with book reports due at certain times and have consequences (like no t.v.) if they don't get done. And maybe I'll add incentives like if you finish early, you can eat out with your friends before or after dance. I'll try that and let you know what works.
This isn't about homeschooling. (I can hear all the people out there saying, "See. This is why it would never work. I could never get my kid's cooperation.") This is about her relationship with me. We've always had a sort of push-pull relationship. It has affected the school situation, but this one is trickier, because it's not in a textbook; it's not outlined in a lesson plan. Also, you can see an unfinished lesson or worksheet. It's harder to "see" an unread book.
I guess I'll have to assign several books with book reports due at certain times and have consequences (like no t.v.) if they don't get done. And maybe I'll add incentives like if you finish early, you can eat out with your friends before or after dance. I'll try that and let you know what works.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Bumps
I knew there would be bumps in this highschool journey. As the weeks roll along, Jane and I have been having discussions about how things are working. Mostly, I'm just SO imressed with how well she is doing. So, what has not been working? Consistency. Consistently doing her work every day!
Her other studies are suffering because she spends much of her time focused on the co-op classes. She cannot let her math, english, history and spelling (yes, spelling in 9th grade; she needs it!) suffer. Mind you, she is still doing them, but not with the same attention. I get nervous, then I get crabby. But, I caught myself and instead of stewing about it, I sat with her at the school table and we talked about it.
She told me everything she has to do (this gives her the opportunity to map it out and see it) and we added her piano and dance (like Thursday's she can't have too much heavy school work; she demonstrates 2 hours in the morning and dances up to 3.5 hours in the evening) and then we mapped out a "budget" if you will. What days she's going to do math, what time is best for her science test, when is a good time for her logic puzzles, what can be done on Thursday afternoons, etc. We both feel better and I think she felt empowered. As I read what I wrote, it doesn't sound so bad, but I can assure you, it feels a lot bumpier!
I really feel panicky sometimes and have to remind myself that this is a journey and nothing will be solved in a day. It's as much about the process as it is about the end result. Jane will have learned far more from our sitting down together and mapping things out than she would have learned from me being all "crazy mom" nagging her.
It's also an opportunity for me to give her (and Ruth) good messages...teaching them to be patient with themselves and new things and processes that sometimes involve tweaking. Understand that I HAVE nagged and really gotten on her sometimes. I'm not always at my best.
I'm settling into my work routine fairly nicely. Marty takes Sam to school on Monday's and Wednesday's and picks him up as well (unless he gets a ride from a friend). I work 7:30-4:00pm on Monday's and Wednesday's and the girls call me when they are up and running (usually between 8 and 8:30). I try to leave a list of the things they need to get done; especially for Ruth. Even Ruthie is rising to the challenge though and getting her stuff done and taking charge of her responsibilities. Tuesday's are our quiet days; we get lots done. Thursday, Ruth and I do school work while Jane demos dance and often end up at the library in the afternoon. Friday is piano and co-op day; it goes by really fast!
New chapters in our lives can be scary, but I'm finding this is turning out to be wonderful!
Her other studies are suffering because she spends much of her time focused on the co-op classes. She cannot let her math, english, history and spelling (yes, spelling in 9th grade; she needs it!) suffer. Mind you, she is still doing them, but not with the same attention. I get nervous, then I get crabby. But, I caught myself and instead of stewing about it, I sat with her at the school table and we talked about it.
She told me everything she has to do (this gives her the opportunity to map it out and see it) and we added her piano and dance (like Thursday's she can't have too much heavy school work; she demonstrates 2 hours in the morning and dances up to 3.5 hours in the evening) and then we mapped out a "budget" if you will. What days she's going to do math, what time is best for her science test, when is a good time for her logic puzzles, what can be done on Thursday afternoons, etc. We both feel better and I think she felt empowered. As I read what I wrote, it doesn't sound so bad, but I can assure you, it feels a lot bumpier!
I really feel panicky sometimes and have to remind myself that this is a journey and nothing will be solved in a day. It's as much about the process as it is about the end result. Jane will have learned far more from our sitting down together and mapping things out than she would have learned from me being all "crazy mom" nagging her.
It's also an opportunity for me to give her (and Ruth) good messages...teaching them to be patient with themselves and new things and processes that sometimes involve tweaking. Understand that I HAVE nagged and really gotten on her sometimes. I'm not always at my best.
I'm settling into my work routine fairly nicely. Marty takes Sam to school on Monday's and Wednesday's and picks him up as well (unless he gets a ride from a friend). I work 7:30-4:00pm on Monday's and Wednesday's and the girls call me when they are up and running (usually between 8 and 8:30). I try to leave a list of the things they need to get done; especially for Ruth. Even Ruthie is rising to the challenge though and getting her stuff done and taking charge of her responsibilities. Tuesday's are our quiet days; we get lots done. Thursday, Ruth and I do school work while Jane demos dance and often end up at the library in the afternoon. Friday is piano and co-op day; it goes by really fast!
New chapters in our lives can be scary, but I'm finding this is turning out to be wonderful!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Not Again!!
It's happened again! Another person expressing their concern about socialization. This time, it was a person who I admire and respect. I'll call her Ms. S. She knows one of my boys but didn't know he had been homeschooled. Then she found out that Jane is homeschooling highschool. I said something about Jane's dance and Ms. S said, "So does she get enough socialization through her dance?" AARRRGHGHG!
I replied, "People are always concerned about socialization, but it is not something that concerns me." She jumped in there and said with passion, "It concerns me!" How disappointed I am to hear this from someone I consider well-educated. I assume well-educated people are critical thinkers...perhaps I am wrong.
Critical thinking requires following a thought through. I calmly replied to Ms. S., "Oh, come on. Think about it; there are kids in traditional school settings who are socially awkward. Where you are educated is not what defines you socially. Largely, the parents are the biggest influence in their children's social abilities." She readily conceded that I had a point and went on to say that my son is "delightful." Of'course he is, as are all my kids, despite being homeschooled! Imagine that!
I went further with Ms. S and pointed out that if you take any segment of society, you're bound to find socially awkward people. If there is a greater number of socially awkward kids/families among homeschoolers, it is because they know that they are different and yet are unwilling to change and unwilling to subject their kids to the pain of being "different" in a society that values conformity over individualism. Some people embrace their awkwardness. As a homeschooler, I am proud of the fact that I don't think like the rest of society!
Now, as I tell my kids, prejudices/generalizations/bias comes from a truth. In other words, we find something to often be true and then we form a prejudice, etc. from that basic truth. The problem is that whatever conclusion we've drawn, is not always correct. Just because we observe that some homeschoolers are socially awkward, we should not conclude that homeschooling your kids makes them socially awkward. That would seem to indicate that there are NO socially awkward kids in traditional schools, and NO socially adept kids that are homeschooled.
So my point is that where/how you are schooled does NOT make you socially awkward. Nor does going to school make you socially adept. We hear a lot in the news these days about bullying in schools and even on school busses. Do I meet someone who tells me where they are sending their kids to school and I say, "Oooohh. Are you worried they'll be bullied or a bullier? How are you going to address that to make sure they don't fall into either group?" They would look at me like I was crazy. What is going on IN the schools is a direct result of what is going on in the homes. Schools don't MAKE bullies.
I firmly believe that my kids were born the kind of student that they are and that I did little to change that. I certainly tried to help each of them build on their strengths and learn from and overcome their weaknesses. I believe that through homeschooling they received more attention, more opportunity to grow personally, better sibling relationships, and I pray to God that they are better critical thinkers!
I replied, "People are always concerned about socialization, but it is not something that concerns me." She jumped in there and said with passion, "It concerns me!" How disappointed I am to hear this from someone I consider well-educated. I assume well-educated people are critical thinkers...perhaps I am wrong.
Critical thinking requires following a thought through. I calmly replied to Ms. S., "Oh, come on. Think about it; there are kids in traditional school settings who are socially awkward. Where you are educated is not what defines you socially. Largely, the parents are the biggest influence in their children's social abilities." She readily conceded that I had a point and went on to say that my son is "delightful." Of'course he is, as are all my kids, despite being homeschooled! Imagine that!
I went further with Ms. S and pointed out that if you take any segment of society, you're bound to find socially awkward people. If there is a greater number of socially awkward kids/families among homeschoolers, it is because they know that they are different and yet are unwilling to change and unwilling to subject their kids to the pain of being "different" in a society that values conformity over individualism. Some people embrace their awkwardness. As a homeschooler, I am proud of the fact that I don't think like the rest of society!
Now, as I tell my kids, prejudices/generalizations/bias comes from a truth. In other words, we find something to often be true and then we form a prejudice, etc. from that basic truth. The problem is that whatever conclusion we've drawn, is not always correct. Just because we observe that some homeschoolers are socially awkward, we should not conclude that homeschooling your kids makes them socially awkward. That would seem to indicate that there are NO socially awkward kids in traditional schools, and NO socially adept kids that are homeschooled.
So my point is that where/how you are schooled does NOT make you socially awkward. Nor does going to school make you socially adept. We hear a lot in the news these days about bullying in schools and even on school busses. Do I meet someone who tells me where they are sending their kids to school and I say, "Oooohh. Are you worried they'll be bullied or a bullier? How are you going to address that to make sure they don't fall into either group?" They would look at me like I was crazy. What is going on IN the schools is a direct result of what is going on in the homes. Schools don't MAKE bullies.
I firmly believe that my kids were born the kind of student that they are and that I did little to change that. I certainly tried to help each of them build on their strengths and learn from and overcome their weaknesses. I believe that through homeschooling they received more attention, more opportunity to grow personally, better sibling relationships, and I pray to God that they are better critical thinkers!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Co-op and Piano Begin
Lots of new beginnings this past week. We had our same piano tuner that we've had for 10 years come back and tune our piano and our beloved piano teacher is back teaching Jane and Ruth. She will be coming to the house on Friday mornings to teach the girls. Jane has had 6 years of piano but needs to continue. In looking into dance majors we found that they look for students who know music. So we will build on what Jane already knows and go deep into Theory. She'll receive high school credit for both instument and theory.
Ruth had her first ever piano lesson Friday. I am so glad and so relieved that we are able to do this. When we stopped (mostly for financial reasons) having Miss Linda come and teach the kids, I intended to get back to it one day. Still, you wonder if you ever will. Ruth LOVED it and loves Miss Linda. Our teacher uses the Farber method so that on the first day, you are playing a song. Miss Linda has taught all of our kids piano. Martin had 4 yrs; Leo, Sam and Jane each had 6 yrs. They all can play some, but Leo and Jane are the ones who still play. They were all taught theory as well and I have to go get theory books for both Jane and Ruth for their next lesson.
So Fridays are piano, spelling test, and co-op days. Sometimes we have other tests on Fridays, it just depends. Jane is really liking co-op and has been twice now. She has Ms. Rottler for biology and I love that she will really be active in the classroom with a microscope and dissecting, etc. I also like that outside the classroom she HAS to learn to manage her time; a skill she will use the rest of her life.
Her other classes this semester, Memorization Skills and Logic are AWESOME! I told her I didn't think there would be a lot of outside the classroom activities, but I was wrong. Especially in memory class; she will be very busy. However, she loves it! And it is amazing to see her confidence building already. She is literally blossoming right before our eyes, becoming confident, capable, mature and just a beautiful person!
She has to go on-line to schoolology.com for her memory class and listens to a 40 minute lecture each week. They memorize a prayer and a scripture verse each week. For the semester, they will memorize 140 saints names, feast month, what they are remembered for, and when they lived. It's not really about what you're memorizing (although that's SO great) it's about the skills she is acquiring and the confidence it builds in her; especially with her dyslexia, which tends to undermine her confidence.
The Logic class is also more rigorous than I expected, but she loves it. It is "fun" according to her, and it really is teaching critical thinking skills that are so important. This class is taught by Mr. Williams, who also teaches the memory class.
I have finally finished my training for my new job (I still can't get over that I am working 16 hours a week!). I worked my first "on my own" shift last Thursday. Samantha (who job shares with me and Kathy) needed help because her babysitter's kid was sick and so I went in for 3 hours. It wasn't too bad! I work for real this Monday and Wednesday and I kind of think that it's gonna work out okay. The girls really seem to handle my absence well. I mean, I know there will be bad days, but I have those even when I'm home with them. I am going to have to be super organized, but with this kind of incentive, that shouldn't be a problem. And, so, our adventure continues with more twists!
Ruth had her first ever piano lesson Friday. I am so glad and so relieved that we are able to do this. When we stopped (mostly for financial reasons) having Miss Linda come and teach the kids, I intended to get back to it one day. Still, you wonder if you ever will. Ruth LOVED it and loves Miss Linda. Our teacher uses the Farber method so that on the first day, you are playing a song. Miss Linda has taught all of our kids piano. Martin had 4 yrs; Leo, Sam and Jane each had 6 yrs. They all can play some, but Leo and Jane are the ones who still play. They were all taught theory as well and I have to go get theory books for both Jane and Ruth for their next lesson.
So Fridays are piano, spelling test, and co-op days. Sometimes we have other tests on Fridays, it just depends. Jane is really liking co-op and has been twice now. She has Ms. Rottler for biology and I love that she will really be active in the classroom with a microscope and dissecting, etc. I also like that outside the classroom she HAS to learn to manage her time; a skill she will use the rest of her life.
Her other classes this semester, Memorization Skills and Logic are AWESOME! I told her I didn't think there would be a lot of outside the classroom activities, but I was wrong. Especially in memory class; she will be very busy. However, she loves it! And it is amazing to see her confidence building already. She is literally blossoming right before our eyes, becoming confident, capable, mature and just a beautiful person!
She has to go on-line to schoolology.com for her memory class and listens to a 40 minute lecture each week. They memorize a prayer and a scripture verse each week. For the semester, they will memorize 140 saints names, feast month, what they are remembered for, and when they lived. It's not really about what you're memorizing (although that's SO great) it's about the skills she is acquiring and the confidence it builds in her; especially with her dyslexia, which tends to undermine her confidence.
The Logic class is also more rigorous than I expected, but she loves it. It is "fun" according to her, and it really is teaching critical thinking skills that are so important. This class is taught by Mr. Williams, who also teaches the memory class.
I have finally finished my training for my new job (I still can't get over that I am working 16 hours a week!). I worked my first "on my own" shift last Thursday. Samantha (who job shares with me and Kathy) needed help because her babysitter's kid was sick and so I went in for 3 hours. It wasn't too bad! I work for real this Monday and Wednesday and I kind of think that it's gonna work out okay. The girls really seem to handle my absence well. I mean, I know there will be bad days, but I have those even when I'm home with them. I am going to have to be super organized, but with this kind of incentive, that shouldn't be a problem. And, so, our adventure continues with more twists!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Big Changes!!
WOW! A lot has happened since my last post. The big news is that I am now working a part-time job. Mondays and Wednesdays 7:30-4pm as a receptionist. I am job sharing with two other women (one being my sister). WHAT??!! Yes..I'm still homeschooling the girls. We talked about putting them in school but of'course they didn't want to and Jane was very convincing that she could handle it. I've been in 3 days for training and the girls have done a stellar job. I think they do better when I'm not here...go figure! I leave their lesson plan (what they need to do in each subject) and two chores per daughter (like vaccum the living room rug, clean the 1/2 bath sink/toilet, unload the dishwasher, etc). They also have to walk the dogs (just around the block). No T.V. till 4 p.m.
I fully anticipate the girls calling one day with arguments, etc. But I think it's going to work. I will do this juggling act for about 9 months (can't be harder than pregnancy, right?) and then back out. It will really help with college and Sam's last year at Vianney, etc. Jane is doing so great with her stuff and she starts her Co-op tomorrow. She's a little nervous but I think she's going to love. She is really looking forward to her Biology class. The teacher used to be a coroner and has a Ph.D. in Biology?? I think it is. She says she loves to do lab work and that is what the kids will be doing mostly for their class time; they're expected to do their reading on their own.
Ruth is also rising to the challenge and handling her school work well. She and I will have to work out what we are going to do during the 5 hours Jane is at Co-op. We will probably go to a nearby branch of the public library and read or finish school work.
So, next time I post, we will have experienced Co-op and my new work schedule. Should be interesting!
I fully anticipate the girls calling one day with arguments, etc. But I think it's going to work. I will do this juggling act for about 9 months (can't be harder than pregnancy, right?) and then back out. It will really help with college and Sam's last year at Vianney, etc. Jane is doing so great with her stuff and she starts her Co-op tomorrow. She's a little nervous but I think she's going to love. She is really looking forward to her Biology class. The teacher used to be a coroner and has a Ph.D. in Biology?? I think it is. She says she loves to do lab work and that is what the kids will be doing mostly for their class time; they're expected to do their reading on their own.
Ruth is also rising to the challenge and handling her school work well. She and I will have to work out what we are going to do during the 5 hours Jane is at Co-op. We will probably go to a nearby branch of the public library and read or finish school work.
So, next time I post, we will have experienced Co-op and my new work schedule. Should be interesting!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Learning Together
I just finished reading The Hunger Games; all three books. Jane BEGGED me to read them after she had finished. A friend of hers really wanted her to read them and she reluctantly did and then started in on me. We both loved it!! We haven't seen the movie of the first book yet; and may not based on what others who have read the book say.
One of the things I most enjoy about homeschooling my kids is learning with them. Jane has to read a lot of books that I have assigned and that's one of the reasons I read this series; kind of a turn-about's fair play. And because of this arrangement, I have been exposed to so many great books. AND I like seeing what she's reading.
Often, when people find out that I homeschool, they say how they could never do it because they aren't smart enough. "I'm so bad at math (or science, or history) that I just wouldn't know how to help them," they say.
To this I usually reply, "Well, you know, I have the teacher books; I'm not really an expert on all the subjects."
But further to that, I have learned that it's a great opportunity to allow yourself to be vulnerable in front of your kids. To demonstrate that learning goes on your whole life. To empower them by allowing them to teach you, the parent.
I've often heard it said that it is hard for kids, as they grow up, to learn that their parents are not perfect. Maybe the reality is that it's hard for the parents to be found out? Maybe part of what stressed me out in the early years of homeschooling was thinking that I needed to have all the answers. Now I know that I'm only a facilitator, a guide, and I am a more relaxed homeschooler.
I have read a lot about homeschooling high school and I remember an article a homeschool dad wrote about his college age son. They had homeschooled him from kindergarten through high school, often, with doubts and questions, but always sticking to the dream. His now college age son called home from college and was relating to his dad that he just found out about (I can't remember exactly, let's say the Korean War) in one of his classes that day. The son went on to say that all of the other students couldn't believe that he had never heard of it. At this point in the article, the dad cringes and says all the doubts and misgivings come back. He's thinking, "Oh my gosh! How did we never cover that? What else did we miss?" and on and on. But all the father says to his son on the phone is, "What did you do?" to which his son replied, "I went to the campus library and looked up everything I could on it and now I know about it." Picture the dad smiling and all the doubts shot down.
There will always be things we haven't heard about or learned. Our goal in educating our kids is to teach them how to learn. And what better way than to allow them to see us learning. I'm going to get better at that!
One of the things I most enjoy about homeschooling my kids is learning with them. Jane has to read a lot of books that I have assigned and that's one of the reasons I read this series; kind of a turn-about's fair play. And because of this arrangement, I have been exposed to so many great books. AND I like seeing what she's reading.
Often, when people find out that I homeschool, they say how they could never do it because they aren't smart enough. "I'm so bad at math (or science, or history) that I just wouldn't know how to help them," they say.
To this I usually reply, "Well, you know, I have the teacher books; I'm not really an expert on all the subjects."
But further to that, I have learned that it's a great opportunity to allow yourself to be vulnerable in front of your kids. To demonstrate that learning goes on your whole life. To empower them by allowing them to teach you, the parent.
I've often heard it said that it is hard for kids, as they grow up, to learn that their parents are not perfect. Maybe the reality is that it's hard for the parents to be found out? Maybe part of what stressed me out in the early years of homeschooling was thinking that I needed to have all the answers. Now I know that I'm only a facilitator, a guide, and I am a more relaxed homeschooler.
I have read a lot about homeschooling high school and I remember an article a homeschool dad wrote about his college age son. They had homeschooled him from kindergarten through high school, often, with doubts and questions, but always sticking to the dream. His now college age son called home from college and was relating to his dad that he just found out about (I can't remember exactly, let's say the Korean War) in one of his classes that day. The son went on to say that all of the other students couldn't believe that he had never heard of it. At this point in the article, the dad cringes and says all the doubts and misgivings come back. He's thinking, "Oh my gosh! How did we never cover that? What else did we miss?" and on and on. But all the father says to his son on the phone is, "What did you do?" to which his son replied, "I went to the campus library and looked up everything I could on it and now I know about it." Picture the dad smiling and all the doubts shot down.
There will always be things we haven't heard about or learned. Our goal in educating our kids is to teach them how to learn. And what better way than to allow them to see us learning. I'm going to get better at that!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Loose Ends
I was reading some old posts and realized I tend to let things slip. I wrote about Jane's and my cantankerous relationship and how I have ideas for handling that and then never got back about that.
What Marty and I came up with is that there has to be natural consequences. If she has stuff to be completed and doesn't get it done, she doesn't get to do the things she wants. That might be dance class, watch t.v., go out with friends (yes, my homeschool girl has somehow managed to make a few of those!), or sleep in. I have to focus on teaching her the discipline of doing what needs to be done and then being free to do what you want. That is why I have been so pleased lately. She seems to really be catching on and taking the initiative.
I can't be nagging, yelling, etc. That's unpleasant for all of us. The hard part comes when I see her making a poor choice and I know that she will have to sacrifice something later. The inclination is to remind her (translate: nag). She will learn and has learned faster by experiencing the uncomfortableness of her choice and then remembering next time. I've learned that when I nag and yell (yes, it's shocking, I sometimes yell at my kids!) it becomes about me.
Most of the time, I find that when I am upset with a child of mine and I want to yell at them, it is because I don't want them to have a consequence. I can see where something is leading...why won't they listen to me so they can avoid a consequence. That's dumb. When I see that and realize that's where my frustration is coming from, it's so much easier to choose something else. I can choose to see those times as opportunities for my kids to grow. I have to have confidence that they are smart enough to figure it out. It feels so much more victorious to see them "authentically" learn a valuable lesson.
I'll write more soon.
What Marty and I came up with is that there has to be natural consequences. If she has stuff to be completed and doesn't get it done, she doesn't get to do the things she wants. That might be dance class, watch t.v., go out with friends (yes, my homeschool girl has somehow managed to make a few of those!), or sleep in. I have to focus on teaching her the discipline of doing what needs to be done and then being free to do what you want. That is why I have been so pleased lately. She seems to really be catching on and taking the initiative.
I can't be nagging, yelling, etc. That's unpleasant for all of us. The hard part comes when I see her making a poor choice and I know that she will have to sacrifice something later. The inclination is to remind her (translate: nag). She will learn and has learned faster by experiencing the uncomfortableness of her choice and then remembering next time. I've learned that when I nag and yell (yes, it's shocking, I sometimes yell at my kids!) it becomes about me.
Most of the time, I find that when I am upset with a child of mine and I want to yell at them, it is because I don't want them to have a consequence. I can see where something is leading...why won't they listen to me so they can avoid a consequence. That's dumb. When I see that and realize that's where my frustration is coming from, it's so much easier to choose something else. I can choose to see those times as opportunities for my kids to grow. I have to have confidence that they are smart enough to figure it out. It feels so much more victorious to see them "authentically" learn a valuable lesson.
I'll write more soon.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Things are Looking Up
So, as I expected, we got very little - and by very little, I mean none - school work done Friday. I had even told the girls that because we got so little done Thursday and Friday, they could expect to have homework over the weekend - no whining! They didn't balk about it at all; 'course we didn't end up doing homework. The weekend flew by and no school work was done. This is when I start doing a number on myself. My head says, "Why are you homeschooling? You're not qualified to do this? They're never going to learn anything!" I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you; you get the idea. I have to consciously remind myself of the kids wonderful standardized tests over the years; of the boys successful highschool careers; of the fact that, even in a formal school setting they have assemblies, fire drills, and other such interruptions.
"Calm down," I say to myself. That works better now than it did 10 years or ago (or 9 or 8 or, let's face it, even 1 year ago). It's true. I am a better homeschool mom every year. That kind of makes me sad :(
My older kids were like the guinea pigs. They had a mom who was learning on the fly. On the bright side, they did great! They taught ME well!
The very good news is the progess I've seen this week. As it is summer session, I do not make the girls get up at a certain time. This is REALLY difficult for me! However, the girls get up, get dressed, get their breakfast and get to their school work on their own and that is awesome. This week, Jane in particular has impressed me. While she is eating her breakfast, she has gotten to her school work. She has taken the initiative to work ahead in her algebra. She has gotten 98% or better on her lessons. She read her history, which she will complete this week even though it was to take her to August 17. Her history is internet-linked and she has aced all her check-ups! I have her print them off and will keep them for our records.
I was so impressed with her work ethic yesterday morning and gave her a lot of kudos. She smiled and said, "I really want to hang out with Erin and Molly this afternoon." I think she thought that was a poor excuse but I grabbed onto it! I told her that is what we all need to do. All through life, we have to get done what NEEDS to be done, so we can do what we WANT to do. She had homework Monday night and I told her it was her job to remember and get it done and if Tuesday morning came and it wasn't done, she'd have to miss her dance class that night (tuesday is jazz/tap; her favorite). She got it done. Things are looking very well indeed!
"Calm down," I say to myself. That works better now than it did 10 years or ago (or 9 or 8 or, let's face it, even 1 year ago). It's true. I am a better homeschool mom every year. That kind of makes me sad :(
My older kids were like the guinea pigs. They had a mom who was learning on the fly. On the bright side, they did great! They taught ME well!
The very good news is the progess I've seen this week. As it is summer session, I do not make the girls get up at a certain time. This is REALLY difficult for me! However, the girls get up, get dressed, get their breakfast and get to their school work on their own and that is awesome. This week, Jane in particular has impressed me. While she is eating her breakfast, she has gotten to her school work. She has taken the initiative to work ahead in her algebra. She has gotten 98% or better on her lessons. She read her history, which she will complete this week even though it was to take her to August 17. Her history is internet-linked and she has aced all her check-ups! I have her print them off and will keep them for our records.
I was so impressed with her work ethic yesterday morning and gave her a lot of kudos. She smiled and said, "I really want to hang out with Erin and Molly this afternoon." I think she thought that was a poor excuse but I grabbed onto it! I told her that is what we all need to do. All through life, we have to get done what NEEDS to be done, so we can do what we WANT to do. She had homework Monday night and I told her it was her job to remember and get it done and if Tuesday morning came and it wasn't done, she'd have to miss her dance class that night (tuesday is jazz/tap; her favorite). She got it done. Things are looking very well indeed!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Taking it in Stride
Today was NOT a productive day. We got next to nothing done and I have not and will not have time to correct what they did today. Jane corrected her Algebra lesson and got two wrong (I'm okay with that). Yesterday, she had a practice problem that she couldn't get and I stepped in and couldn't get it either. Don't panic; these are the real gems of homeschooling. When we learn together it is like an adventure and it somehow is retained better. We walked away from it because I decided it was probably a "brain hiccup" (the heat is really melting our brains, right?) and we would come back to it today and triumph. Except we didn't come back to it. I spent my day running unexpected errands and being a taxi service. I am also busy with doing things for my second oldest son, Leo, to get him back to college in a couple of weeks and some days it's just hard to get it all in.
Ruth did manage to get some math and reading comprehension done, although I haven't looked to see how well she did. I love her comprehension book because she learns about all kinds of things while improving her reading comprehension. Today, she told me we should get a mongoose.
Me: "Oh, really. Why?"
Ruth: "Because it says they are the best and catching and eating rats and mice. We could put it in the basement and then we wouldn't have to worry about the mice."
Here is where I smiled nicely and assured that we no longer have a rodent problem (yes, we did but now we don't). I think she was disappointed because she was hoping for a new pet!
So, I'd like to panic about today because I know we also will not have a very productive day tomorrow. I promised to take the girls swimming. I take care of a friend's daughter 3 days a week. Emma is 1 year younger than Ruth and they get along wonderfully. Emma's family has a pool in the backyard so we are going over there to swim tomorrow. Of'course, I plan to have the girls do school work after lunch, but we will see if that actually happens. I am trying to balance school with still allowing summer fun for the girls. It's a bit tricky sometimes but I think it is working so far. They are generally on target with their goals so I just need to relax and take these bad days in stride.
Ruth did manage to get some math and reading comprehension done, although I haven't looked to see how well she did. I love her comprehension book because she learns about all kinds of things while improving her reading comprehension. Today, she told me we should get a mongoose.
Me: "Oh, really. Why?"
Ruth: "Because it says they are the best and catching and eating rats and mice. We could put it in the basement and then we wouldn't have to worry about the mice."
Here is where I smiled nicely and assured that we no longer have a rodent problem (yes, we did but now we don't). I think she was disappointed because she was hoping for a new pet!
So, I'd like to panic about today because I know we also will not have a very productive day tomorrow. I promised to take the girls swimming. I take care of a friend's daughter 3 days a week. Emma is 1 year younger than Ruth and they get along wonderfully. Emma's family has a pool in the backyard so we are going over there to swim tomorrow. Of'course, I plan to have the girls do school work after lunch, but we will see if that actually happens. I am trying to balance school with still allowing summer fun for the girls. It's a bit tricky sometimes but I think it is working so far. They are generally on target with their goals so I just need to relax and take these bad days in stride.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sunday Evening; All's calm
Sunday evening. It's calm and quiet in the house. I'm making my BIG batch of chocolate chip cookies. I've reviewed where we are on our goals for this 6-week school session and it's looking good. This in itself is interesting.
A week ago, I was a little discouraged that we were not getting more done. I was, quite honestly, starting to panic and ready to tell Jane she had to go to a traditional high school. Then, the very next day, after she read twice what she was supposed to for history, I quizzed her. Each section comes with on-line quizzes, but I like to do the section questions in the book to get a feel for how well she's understanding the material. She got all the questions correct! In a matter of one day, I went from panic and despair to awesome and confident. Funny. I try to remember that at all times; a day makes a difference.
We are looking good for our goals except Jane's Algebra. I thought that in 6 weeks she'd be able to do 40 lessons, which is more than 5 lessons a week. It was a bit challenging and I've since revised it and aim for her to have 30 lessons done in the six weeks; more reasonable. Ruth is certainly going to start her 4th grade materials, probably after Christmas. I can't hold her back...she just keeps working and I'm going to let her.
Jane has started her new blog - needtodance.blogspot.com - and I think we are both happier. It feels much better this way. This week I hope to have time to upload some more pics and play around with that!
A week ago, I was a little discouraged that we were not getting more done. I was, quite honestly, starting to panic and ready to tell Jane she had to go to a traditional high school. Then, the very next day, after she read twice what she was supposed to for history, I quizzed her. Each section comes with on-line quizzes, but I like to do the section questions in the book to get a feel for how well she's understanding the material. She got all the questions correct! In a matter of one day, I went from panic and despair to awesome and confident. Funny. I try to remember that at all times; a day makes a difference.
We are looking good for our goals except Jane's Algebra. I thought that in 6 weeks she'd be able to do 40 lessons, which is more than 5 lessons a week. It was a bit challenging and I've since revised it and aim for her to have 30 lessons done in the six weeks; more reasonable. Ruth is certainly going to start her 4th grade materials, probably after Christmas. I can't hold her back...she just keeps working and I'm going to let her.
Jane has started her new blog - needtodance.blogspot.com - and I think we are both happier. It feels much better this way. This week I hope to have time to upload some more pics and play around with that!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
I did it!
I did it! I finally imported a picture. Okay, it has no relevance, but it's there. Here it is, July, heatwave, and I have a picture of my youngest in snow; think cool. It took several tries because it kept being really BIG. It is still bigger than I would like but we will leave it for now.
So far, this is working great. Jane has started her own blog and we are both happier. I'm free to experiment and she's happy to blog about dance. I find her spelling is improving (something I heard from another homeschooler: get them emailing or pen-paling and they start to care that it is spelled correctly). Also, she is learning the value of proofreading and catching grammatical mistakes and sentence structure, etc.
We are struggling to come up with a way to keep track of the books she reads. She reads a lot, sometimes multiple books at the same time, and we don't get the title and author written down. I am thinking we will go back to our simple book report forms that she can fill out and when she has five or so, then list them on the blog.
I need to upload from our camera more pictures so we have some to choose from. Also, we have some from her recital that I know she'd like to post, but they have other girls in them. Isn't there some rule that you have to get permission before you put someone's pic on the web? I need to look into that.
So far, this is working great. Jane has started her own blog and we are both happier. I'm free to experiment and she's happy to blog about dance. I find her spelling is improving (something I heard from another homeschooler: get them emailing or pen-paling and they start to care that it is spelled correctly). Also, she is learning the value of proofreading and catching grammatical mistakes and sentence structure, etc.
We are struggling to come up with a way to keep track of the books she reads. She reads a lot, sometimes multiple books at the same time, and we don't get the title and author written down. I am thinking we will go back to our simple book report forms that she can fill out and when she has five or so, then list them on the blog.
I need to upload from our camera more pictures so we have some to choose from. Also, we have some from her recital that I know she'd like to post, but they have other girls in them. Isn't there some rule that you have to get permission before you put someone's pic on the web? I need to look into that.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Long time, No write
Sorry for the hiatis! Trying to figure out what was wrong with what we were/weren't doing. First of all, I would spend time exploring this blog and seeing what I can do but then not wanting to do it without Jane. After all, the whole idea was to make this a "learn by doing" class. But, then, not wanting to do certain things with her without checking it out myself first. Secondly, I was getting resistance from Jane about her posts. Hmmmm.
New idea; my blog - her blog. Perfect! Then I can experiment on my blog and if it works and seems safe, she can follow the lead. She created her own blog today and will blog about a topic she is passionate about - dancing. I think this will work beautifully, but time will tell. Keep checking in and have patience with me. I'm going to try to get a picture uploaded today!
New idea; my blog - her blog. Perfect! Then I can experiment on my blog and if it works and seems safe, she can follow the lead. She created her own blog today and will blog about a topic she is passionate about - dancing. I think this will work beautifully, but time will tell. Keep checking in and have patience with me. I'm going to try to get a picture uploaded today!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Almost there
Ruth and I are really excited for tomorrow, because tomorrow is.... Dress Rehearsal! Then, the recital is on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
We have just gotten home from buying a new garment bag for the dance recital, because this year I`m in 4 dances, and we also thing it`s time.
I`m really happy and excited, because Friday and yesterday, for the first time, I got the center-middle splits! I have been trying to get those all year!
We have just gotten home from buying a new garment bag for the dance recital, because this year I`m in 4 dances, and we also thing it`s time.
I`m really happy and excited, because Friday and yesterday, for the first time, I got the center-middle splits! I have been trying to get those all year!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Highschool Decision
We spent Sunday down at Soup Kitchen (our parish provides a meal the 3rd of every month at a soup kitchen downtown) and my homeschooling came up...ugh...again. I really try to greet questions and the topic itself with cheerfulness, but it is really hard sometimes. It's like when you break your arm (or leg, etc) and at first you tell the story rather animated. After a while, you just want to put a sign around your neck cause you are so sick of repeating yourself. Of'course, each inquiry is new for the person asking it! I really feel like I should embrace every opportunity to discuss homeschooling with enthusiasm. Maybe it's because I have no interest in recruiting people. I'm not selling homeschooling, as much as I love it and believe in it. Anyway, if people didn't have a hard time supporting my decision to homeschool in grade school, they have a harder time being supportive of the decision to homeschool high school.
I think the main concern is of'course, the "S" word....Socialization. Whatever is poor Jane going to do without the experience of socializing in a high school setting; public or private.
(Picture me running around screaming with my hands pulling my hair out!!!!)
The way I started addressing this concern, when I first started homeschooling, was to list all the activities the kids were involved in. Assuring people that the kids would not be socially awkward. In reality, this does not assure that. We all remember the kid on our team who was, in fact, socially awkward. Playing on the team, being a scout, joining the club seldom "cures" social awkwardness.
Not too long into the adventure, I shortened my response to, "It would be hard to be isolated in the middle of suburbia. I might be concerned if we lived on 30 acres in the country; but that's not the case." People always quickly agreed to this and acknowledged that this was a good point.
Lately, in the last year or so, I've become more assertive in my response. It goes something like this, "Have you seen the news? Do you hear what is happening on our school buses and in our classrooms? If that's what you mean by socialization, then no, I'm not worried about her missing out on that. If on the other hand, you mean that she may not feel comfortable around people her own age....well, talk to her yourself." I find this more honestly portrays how I feel about the subject.
Still, people have concerns about how I will handle the curriculum, etc. My 3 boys went to a wonderful, well-respected catholic high school and still, I found it frustrating. When my oldest was a sophmore, there was a new teacher for chemistry. Long story short, she stunk and was let go after 3 years. Still, my oldest and second oldest both struggled through chemistry with her and their GPA's suffered for it. How frustrating! More so because so many books we use in the school setting are dependent on a classroom lesson being given. In other words, you can't take the book and "consume" it. Many, if not all, the books we use in the Tichy Homeschool are student friendly. You can read it cover to cover and teach yourself the subject. Why are we making our kids in school dependent on the teacher to learn?
I also dislike the regular practice of offering extra credit for things like donating to a charitable activity. So much in the school grading system was not related to how much my son actually knew. I encourage charitable donations but there is no grade or points connected to it. Our extra credit, if there is any, is directly related. For instance, if you just filled in a map with the names of the countries, you can earn extra credit if you know the capitals (or lakes, or mountains, etc.) I know this is done in a school setting, as well. I just don't like the none related bonus points.
I often have the kids watch videos. I used to love the series we got from the library called Families Around the World. Despite what the kids say (they used to grumble a bit), they watched them easily and it gave them an idea of what life in that part of the world was like for a kid their age. But what is with the movies at the high school level? My boys have watched Bug's Life, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Forest Gump to name just a few. Again, not against movies or videos entirely, just question the choices.
Jane and I face one big problem: working together. We have this cantankerous (did I spell that correctly?) relationship. Here's a good story to illustrate:
Jane was 6 years old and it was the beginning of first grade. I asked her to say the alphabet for me, like I had 100 times before. She tells me she can't, she doesn't know it. Well, this particular morning, I was not in the mood. I made her stand up (people think better on their feet) and begin, "Surely, you know how it begins, just start." She's mad and begins but gets to "d" and claims not to know anymore. By the time we finish, she is standing on the bench at the dining room table and SCREAMING the letters to me...in the correct order, but very mad that I won't "help" her and very mad that I am right; she did know her alphabet.
That's us. She and I laugh about these things later and we have made much progress over the years. I love her dearly and admire her spirit, but this will be our biggest challenge for the next four years. I have a few ideas about how to handle/manage this that I will blog about next time.
I hope these entries aren't too long? - Miss Mary
I think the main concern is of'course, the "S" word....Socialization. Whatever is poor Jane going to do without the experience of socializing in a high school setting; public or private.
(Picture me running around screaming with my hands pulling my hair out!!!!)
The way I started addressing this concern, when I first started homeschooling, was to list all the activities the kids were involved in. Assuring people that the kids would not be socially awkward. In reality, this does not assure that. We all remember the kid on our team who was, in fact, socially awkward. Playing on the team, being a scout, joining the club seldom "cures" social awkwardness.
Not too long into the adventure, I shortened my response to, "It would be hard to be isolated in the middle of suburbia. I might be concerned if we lived on 30 acres in the country; but that's not the case." People always quickly agreed to this and acknowledged that this was a good point.
Lately, in the last year or so, I've become more assertive in my response. It goes something like this, "Have you seen the news? Do you hear what is happening on our school buses and in our classrooms? If that's what you mean by socialization, then no, I'm not worried about her missing out on that. If on the other hand, you mean that she may not feel comfortable around people her own age....well, talk to her yourself." I find this more honestly portrays how I feel about the subject.
Still, people have concerns about how I will handle the curriculum, etc. My 3 boys went to a wonderful, well-respected catholic high school and still, I found it frustrating. When my oldest was a sophmore, there was a new teacher for chemistry. Long story short, she stunk and was let go after 3 years. Still, my oldest and second oldest both struggled through chemistry with her and their GPA's suffered for it. How frustrating! More so because so many books we use in the school setting are dependent on a classroom lesson being given. In other words, you can't take the book and "consume" it. Many, if not all, the books we use in the Tichy Homeschool are student friendly. You can read it cover to cover and teach yourself the subject. Why are we making our kids in school dependent on the teacher to learn?
I also dislike the regular practice of offering extra credit for things like donating to a charitable activity. So much in the school grading system was not related to how much my son actually knew. I encourage charitable donations but there is no grade or points connected to it. Our extra credit, if there is any, is directly related. For instance, if you just filled in a map with the names of the countries, you can earn extra credit if you know the capitals (or lakes, or mountains, etc.) I know this is done in a school setting, as well. I just don't like the none related bonus points.
I often have the kids watch videos. I used to love the series we got from the library called Families Around the World. Despite what the kids say (they used to grumble a bit), they watched them easily and it gave them an idea of what life in that part of the world was like for a kid their age. But what is with the movies at the high school level? My boys have watched Bug's Life, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Forest Gump to name just a few. Again, not against movies or videos entirely, just question the choices.
Jane and I face one big problem: working together. We have this cantankerous (did I spell that correctly?) relationship. Here's a good story to illustrate:
Jane was 6 years old and it was the beginning of first grade. I asked her to say the alphabet for me, like I had 100 times before. She tells me she can't, she doesn't know it. Well, this particular morning, I was not in the mood. I made her stand up (people think better on their feet) and begin, "Surely, you know how it begins, just start." She's mad and begins but gets to "d" and claims not to know anymore. By the time we finish, she is standing on the bench at the dining room table and SCREAMING the letters to me...in the correct order, but very mad that I won't "help" her and very mad that I am right; she did know her alphabet.
That's us. She and I laugh about these things later and we have made much progress over the years. I love her dearly and admire her spirit, but this will be our biggest challenge for the next four years. I have a few ideas about how to handle/manage this that I will blog about next time.
I hope these entries aren't too long? - Miss Mary
Friday, June 1, 2012
What`s coming up
Hi I am so excited about Ruth`s and my dance recital. Which is a little less then two weeks away! Ruth only has one more dance class before the show! I have three more ballet classes, two more jazz, two more tap, and two more modern!
My goal this summer, in dance, is to get my legs up higher and get my center-middle splits.
To help pay for dance I`m cutting my grandpa`s grass, babysitting, and dog sitting. I`m actually dog sitting this week, and the dog is so so so cute!
My goal this summer, in dance, is to get my legs up higher and get my center-middle splits.
To help pay for dance I`m cutting my grandpa`s grass, babysitting, and dog sitting. I`m actually dog sitting this week, and the dog is so so so cute!
Friday, May 25, 2012
How it all Began
I am hoping next week to be putting some pictures on here. Pictures of us, pictures of Jane's finished projects, etc. Husband, Marty, is off all next week and so we have a LONG list of projects we are excited to be doing. We shall see how that affects our work here.
I thought I'd take a minute to address the questions I've gotten regarding how we came to be homeschoolers. It was a seed planted years before we had children. I worked with a guy whose wife homeschooled their four kids and thought that was very interesting. I wasn't closed to it; nor was Marty. I did think that I was not "qualified" to teach my kids at home. Once our oldest came on the scene, a friend of mine told me (at a Tupperware party of all places) that she planned to homeschool her kids. Again, interesting.
When Martin, our oldest, was ready for kindergarten, another friend told me about a woman she knew through her job that was homeschooling her three little ones. At this point, I really admired that choice, but felt "unqualified" to do that myself. Over the next several years, our family was growing. I even explored the idea by calling some of these friends I knew that homeschooled and "picking their brains." I went so far as to get peoples names, perfect strangers, of people who homeschooled and their kids were now in college. Because I wondered if the kids were happy with the choice. Also, MANY times, I would be out with the kids and someone would approach us and ask if I homeschooled. It kind of bothered me. Why do people ask me that? Of'course, the people who asked me were, themselves, homeschoolers. They could never tell me why they thought I was also a homeschooler; something about the way I interacted with my kids?
Then, in fall of 2000, my uncle was very ill. My dad visited him in Michigan where he lived with his daughter, my cousin. My dad came back from the visit and was telling me about my cousin homeschooling her four kids. The way I remember it, he was going on and on about how impressed he was by it. All I kept thinking was how I wished I was doing that.
That night and for a couple weeks after, Marty and I kicked the idea around. Should we....should we not? I finally decided that I would miss all the friends I had made up at the school so we decided not to. At the time, my oldest was in 3rd grade, his brother was in 2nd grade, their little brother was in preschool and the baby (Jane) was two. Now, Marty and I both felt we had kept our conversations private. These talks about whether or not to homeschool were "bedroom" talks or "out to dinner" talks. Shortly after deciding not to homeschool, our oldest, Martin, told his dad that he wished we would homeschool. Now, he probably did overhear us, but the important thing to me was his reason. NOT to have perpetual recess or to not have homework, but because he hated recess. What?? What kid hates recess? He told his dad that all they ever do is fight and argue over the ball and what to play. That got us thinking and talking again, but again concluded not to homeschool.
Now, we get to the climax of the story. At the time, Marty was a consultant and his company had a Xmas party. We went and ran into the lady from the Tupperware party, all those years ago and her husband. They were still homeschooling and loving it and she spent time trying to convince me that I could do it. I told her that what I really needed was to talk to a young adult who had been homeschooled to hear their take on it. Right at those words, the dinner bell rang. There were about 200 people there and the tables were set up for 4 couples each. So, Marty and I and my old friend and her husband picked a table and pretty soon two other couples joined us. One of the couples explained that his wife had taken ill at the last minute and knowing that there would be a plate for her, he brought his college age daughter, who (can you guess?) was homeschooled all the way through highschool! I couldn't believe it. Nor could Marty. We looked at each other, and we both knew that God had just knocked us on the head and we better take a serious look at this choice.
Well, a lot of praying followed, talking to people (even strangers), and googling. We read books on homeschooling from the library and we talked to family and friends. We both felt like God was calling us to homeschool, but we wanted some kind of reassurance about it. Finally, in February of 2001, we decided that the only thing to do was to try it. We've been homeschooling ever since.
I'd like to say that I wish we had always homeschooled, but that seems like a challenge to God's timing. His timing is perfect so I try not to ask why. Each child has been given the choice of whether to homeschool high school or go to high school. All of the boys chose to attend an area Catholic high school. Now, you are up to date. Here we are embarking on this new adventure of homeschooling high school!
Next time I blog, I'm going to talk a little about the disappointments of sending my boys to high school and what I think Jane and I can do better. - Mary
I thought I'd take a minute to address the questions I've gotten regarding how we came to be homeschoolers. It was a seed planted years before we had children. I worked with a guy whose wife homeschooled their four kids and thought that was very interesting. I wasn't closed to it; nor was Marty. I did think that I was not "qualified" to teach my kids at home. Once our oldest came on the scene, a friend of mine told me (at a Tupperware party of all places) that she planned to homeschool her kids. Again, interesting.
When Martin, our oldest, was ready for kindergarten, another friend told me about a woman she knew through her job that was homeschooling her three little ones. At this point, I really admired that choice, but felt "unqualified" to do that myself. Over the next several years, our family was growing. I even explored the idea by calling some of these friends I knew that homeschooled and "picking their brains." I went so far as to get peoples names, perfect strangers, of people who homeschooled and their kids were now in college. Because I wondered if the kids were happy with the choice. Also, MANY times, I would be out with the kids and someone would approach us and ask if I homeschooled. It kind of bothered me. Why do people ask me that? Of'course, the people who asked me were, themselves, homeschoolers. They could never tell me why they thought I was also a homeschooler; something about the way I interacted with my kids?
Then, in fall of 2000, my uncle was very ill. My dad visited him in Michigan where he lived with his daughter, my cousin. My dad came back from the visit and was telling me about my cousin homeschooling her four kids. The way I remember it, he was going on and on about how impressed he was by it. All I kept thinking was how I wished I was doing that.
That night and for a couple weeks after, Marty and I kicked the idea around. Should we....should we not? I finally decided that I would miss all the friends I had made up at the school so we decided not to. At the time, my oldest was in 3rd grade, his brother was in 2nd grade, their little brother was in preschool and the baby (Jane) was two. Now, Marty and I both felt we had kept our conversations private. These talks about whether or not to homeschool were "bedroom" talks or "out to dinner" talks. Shortly after deciding not to homeschool, our oldest, Martin, told his dad that he wished we would homeschool. Now, he probably did overhear us, but the important thing to me was his reason. NOT to have perpetual recess or to not have homework, but because he hated recess. What?? What kid hates recess? He told his dad that all they ever do is fight and argue over the ball and what to play. That got us thinking and talking again, but again concluded not to homeschool.
Now, we get to the climax of the story. At the time, Marty was a consultant and his company had a Xmas party. We went and ran into the lady from the Tupperware party, all those years ago and her husband. They were still homeschooling and loving it and she spent time trying to convince me that I could do it. I told her that what I really needed was to talk to a young adult who had been homeschooled to hear their take on it. Right at those words, the dinner bell rang. There were about 200 people there and the tables were set up for 4 couples each. So, Marty and I and my old friend and her husband picked a table and pretty soon two other couples joined us. One of the couples explained that his wife had taken ill at the last minute and knowing that there would be a plate for her, he brought his college age daughter, who (can you guess?) was homeschooled all the way through highschool! I couldn't believe it. Nor could Marty. We looked at each other, and we both knew that God had just knocked us on the head and we better take a serious look at this choice.
Well, a lot of praying followed, talking to people (even strangers), and googling. We read books on homeschooling from the library and we talked to family and friends. We both felt like God was calling us to homeschool, but we wanted some kind of reassurance about it. Finally, in February of 2001, we decided that the only thing to do was to try it. We've been homeschooling ever since.
I'd like to say that I wish we had always homeschooled, but that seems like a challenge to God's timing. His timing is perfect so I try not to ask why. Each child has been given the choice of whether to homeschool high school or go to high school. All of the boys chose to attend an area Catholic high school. Now, you are up to date. Here we are embarking on this new adventure of homeschooling high school!
Next time I blog, I'm going to talk a little about the disappointments of sending my boys to high school and what I think Jane and I can do better. - Mary
Monday, May 21, 2012
colors
Hello, my mom let me choose the school colors. I chose green because that is my favorite color, and I chose blue because it`s Ruth`s favorite color.
I am almost finished with my science project, all I have to do is put it on a post it board. I am also almost done with my time line, then I`ll be officially done untill July 9. - Jane
I am almost finished with my science project, all I have to do is put it on a post it board. I am also almost done with my time line, then I`ll be officially done untill July 9. - Jane
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Graduation
We are officially done with school this year, however, Jane is still wrapping up her timeline and science project. She's having fun with the science project, it's just hard to get the time with each participant. She hasn't been able to finish the timeline because I have not gotten the roll of paper she needs! But this is an art project for her, really. She is copying the information that she's already recorded and color-coding the items. One color for personal history (family births, deaths, etc), another color for historical events (presidents, wars, etc), and a third color for trivia (yo-yo invented and such). Jane is an awesome reader; even with her dyslexia, she rocks at reading. I plan to use the library a lot for her history, even for highschool. Reading and writing papers. As a Junior/Senior we may enroll at Pillar or even the community college.
We are having an eigth grade graduation party for her and another homeschool friend this Sunday. A pizza party with ice cream sundaes for dessert. She has picked our official school colors - I let her tell you what they are.
Now, that this year is over, I have to start planning for next year which will begin July 9th. My biggest question is whether to do traditional simultaneous courses, or 6-10 week consecutive studies? Of'course, at Ruth's level, she needs to do all her studies daily. You'll hear soon what we decide!
We are having an eigth grade graduation party for her and another homeschool friend this Sunday. A pizza party with ice cream sundaes for dessert. She has picked our official school colors - I let her tell you what they are.
Now, that this year is over, I have to start planning for next year which will begin July 9th. My biggest question is whether to do traditional simultaneous courses, or 6-10 week consecutive studies? Of'course, at Ruth's level, she needs to do all her studies daily. You'll hear soon what we decide!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Bad Days
Yesterday was a bad day for our homeschool. So many distractions - so much to do. I worry about days like that with Jane going into high school. It's one thing with elementary, but quite another with the heavier course material of high school. I had doctor's appointments and the phone kept ringing (I usually try to ignore! but there were pressing matters to attend to) and of'course the weather was Beautiful so Ruth kept wanting to go outside. Ruth is in her 3rd grade material, so while I feel it's important to keep her brain "well oiled" what we do now is just icing on the cake. Don't tell her that!
Jane has worked hard this past school year to convince me that this will work. We would have talks about what has to happen (really, I talked and she listened). Often, she didn't say much, but in the days after one of our "talks" I'd see her doing things differently. She would show me that she had listened and would implement things we had "discussed."
I'll be going to the Pillar Foundation for a class on records keeping where they teach you how to keep track of credits (120 hours = 1 credit) and how to prepare a transcript for your child. I haven't ruled out paying a records keeping service; I know people who went that route. It just seems to me that it would be just as much work to have to keep of all the stuff and then send it in as to just keep track along the way. We'll see.
Here's hoping today is better. We have a lot to accomplish if we want to be done in two days!
Jane has worked hard this past school year to convince me that this will work. We would have talks about what has to happen (really, I talked and she listened). Often, she didn't say much, but in the days after one of our "talks" I'd see her doing things differently. She would show me that she had listened and would implement things we had "discussed."
I'll be going to the Pillar Foundation for a class on records keeping where they teach you how to keep track of credits (120 hours = 1 credit) and how to prepare a transcript for your child. I haven't ruled out paying a records keeping service; I know people who went that route. It just seems to me that it would be just as much work to have to keep of all the stuff and then send it in as to just keep track along the way. We'll see.
Here's hoping today is better. We have a lot to accomplish if we want to be done in two days!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
home school
Yesterday when we were making the book list I was thinking "Wow I didn`t think I read so much". But then again my bother says I`m always reading. Mom I don`t think I`m having a hard time finishing up I just think it`s taking a long long time. The reason I want to home school high school, there are a few. One, I want to be able to demonstrate dance, and two because we have more flexibilityin what we do.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Little Steps
So, today, Jane and I figured out how to put a book list on our blog. It took some time; enough time that it was all we could get done on the site today. But we did it! I'm so proud of us. It was fun and tomorrow we are going to figure out how to add links. We'd like to link to our homeschool resources. Then, finally for now, we will see about adding a picture or two to pretty up the blog.
This is our last week of homeschool for this year and it hardly feels like work. I'm looking forward to taking a break. We will then start up again July 9th.
Jane, are you having a hard time wrapping up your school work for this year?
This is our last week of homeschool for this year and it hardly feels like work. I'm looking forward to taking a break. We will then start up again July 9th.
Jane, are you having a hard time wrapping up your school work for this year?
Social Bug/I Love Dance
I am not concerned about missing out on social stuff, because I dance 5 or sometimes 6 days a week. I also have allot of friends from homeschooling, in the neighborhood, and in dance so I`m good.
Today is my favorite day of the week, because I have tap and jazz from 4:30 to 6:45. I LOVE DANCE! Monday`s and Wednesday`s are ballet from 4:30 to 6:00. Friday is modern from 5:00 to 6:30. Last, but not least, is Saturday which is an extra class that I don`t have to take from 10:00 to 12:00 which is a ballet and point class. I also demonstrate (dance) for the little girls 3 days a week, but 4 classes. Monday at 3:30 to 4:30. Friday at 9:30 to 10:30 and 10:30 to 11:30. Saturday at 12:30 to 1:30.
Today is my favorite day of the week, because I have tap and jazz from 4:30 to 6:45. I LOVE DANCE! Monday`s and Wednesday`s are ballet from 4:30 to 6:00. Friday is modern from 5:00 to 6:30. Last, but not least, is Saturday which is an extra class that I don`t have to take from 10:00 to 12:00 which is a ballet and point class. I also demonstrate (dance) for the little girls 3 days a week, but 4 classes. Monday at 3:30 to 4:30. Friday at 9:30 to 10:30 and 10:30 to 11:30. Saturday at 12:30 to 1:30.
Monday, May 14, 2012
The nitty gritty
5/14/12 - So we tweeked our blog a little today; hopefully, more tomorrow. It's a HUGE learning process for both of us (which I think is sometimes the best learning - learning together).
I thought I'd outline a little of what Jane will be doing her freshman year in high school. So far, we know we are going back to year round school. That consists of 6 weeks on, 1 week off with 2 weeks at Christmas and the month of June off.
She is enrolled in two classes at The Pillar Foundation in Chesterfield. These classes are free and taught by certified teachers OR professionals. I want to start Jane slow, so we enrolled her in a class called Understanding Temperments. It's a semester class and she is currently wait-listed (they only accept 15 students in that class) so we cross our fingers and say a prayer. For second semester, she is enrolled in a sewing class that is taught by a 24 year old, self-taught, apprenticed (she made wedding dresses!) seamstress. Jane will be getting a sewing machine for Christmas this year!
She's also taking classes at the Catholic co-op. The teachers here are certified teachers and some parents (they usually are teaching the non-core offerings). You pay $100 per year and buy the books and pay whatever nominal fees are associated with the class. For instance, she's going to take biology (we were going to do this at home, but since they offer it and use the same apologia text, why not) and there are some lab fees. She's also taking a memory skills, organizational skills, study skills and speech class. They are each a semester long and I think they will serve her well throughout; give her a solid foundation of skills.
We are going to tackle history, literature, and algebra ourselves. Tune in later to hear more about that!
Jane, are you worried about missing out on the "social aspect" of going to high school?
-Mom
I thought I'd outline a little of what Jane will be doing her freshman year in high school. So far, we know we are going back to year round school. That consists of 6 weeks on, 1 week off with 2 weeks at Christmas and the month of June off.
She is enrolled in two classes at The Pillar Foundation in Chesterfield. These classes are free and taught by certified teachers OR professionals. I want to start Jane slow, so we enrolled her in a class called Understanding Temperments. It's a semester class and she is currently wait-listed (they only accept 15 students in that class) so we cross our fingers and say a prayer. For second semester, she is enrolled in a sewing class that is taught by a 24 year old, self-taught, apprenticed (she made wedding dresses!) seamstress. Jane will be getting a sewing machine for Christmas this year!
She's also taking classes at the Catholic co-op. The teachers here are certified teachers and some parents (they usually are teaching the non-core offerings). You pay $100 per year and buy the books and pay whatever nominal fees are associated with the class. For instance, she's going to take biology (we were going to do this at home, but since they offer it and use the same apologia text, why not) and there are some lab fees. She's also taking a memory skills, organizational skills, study skills and speech class. They are each a semester long and I think they will serve her well throughout; give her a solid foundation of skills.
We are going to tackle history, literature, and algebra ourselves. Tune in later to hear more about that!
Jane, are you worried about missing out on the "social aspect" of going to high school?
-Mom
Monday, May 14, 2012 Hi today is my first day on here, and it is better then I thought it would be. Right now I am eating my breakfast, writing on this blog, and thinking how much I want to finish the book I`m writing. I know this sounds like I`m a geek, but I`m not, I just like to write. I have already written a book, but I haven`t finished drawing the pics for it yet. -Jane
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Day 2, Mother's Day
May 13, 2012 Happy Mom's Day to all. I told Jane about and showed her the blog this morning. It was not an entirely enthusiastic response, but not negative either. We will start tomorrow with her working on it, becoming familiar with it, and posting to it. She just finished her paper on Red-tailed Hawks and that will be her first writing sample for high school. She needs to finish her history time-line and her science project to complete eigth grade. Then, we will start high school in July; yup! back to year-round homeschooling! See you tomorrow, hopefully with posts from both (or possibly all three) of us.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
In the Beginning
05/12/2012 Have I really created a blog? I am not sure I know what I'm doing but am sure I will get better at this. I intend for this blog to be a record of homeschooling Jane, my 14 year old daughter, through high school.
I began homeschooling in 2000. My oldest was in 4th grade that year, followed by his brother in 2nd grade, followed by their brother in kindergarten, and Jane was 2. We have since added another child, Ruth.
Jane is the first to choose to homeschool high school. Her brothers all went to a Catholic high school but she insists she wants to do this and honestly, she's braver than I am. I want to do this; I believe this is wonderful, right and good. But OVERWHELMING and slightly scary.
I hope with this blog to do two things. First and foremost, I thought it would be a wonderful outlet for both Jane and I (and maybe Ruth as well). But also, I will count at as hours toward her graduating high school; log it as computer science. She's the creative one, so she will be tasked with dressing up this site.
I began homeschooling in 2000. My oldest was in 4th grade that year, followed by his brother in 2nd grade, followed by their brother in kindergarten, and Jane was 2. We have since added another child, Ruth.
Jane is the first to choose to homeschool high school. Her brothers all went to a Catholic high school but she insists she wants to do this and honestly, she's braver than I am. I want to do this; I believe this is wonderful, right and good. But OVERWHELMING and slightly scary.
I hope with this blog to do two things. First and foremost, I thought it would be a wonderful outlet for both Jane and I (and maybe Ruth as well). But also, I will count at as hours toward her graduating high school; log it as computer science. She's the creative one, so she will be tasked with dressing up this site.
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