I can’t believe that I am actually homeschooling.  It is definitely something new in our lives. It is one of those things that I never thought I’d do… or be able to do.  I did consider it when Haylee was going into Kindergarten… but we were pretty happy with my teaching job providing schooling and childcare for both little ones. Now, however circumstances have brought us to this new place in life’s journey.

Life took quite the unexpected turn since January of 2010.  As a result of one extra little line on a stick, so much changed in our household.  It is funny how life can do that to you. One pivotal moment, and when you look back after just a few months, you are shocked to see how much has changed, and how little you knew of what was coming.

Our surprise little ‘bundle of blue’ had an arrival date of September… just a few weeks after school begins.  As a teacher, I had covered and analyzed many different scenarios on how on earth I was going to juggle the logistics of having a baby at the beginning of the school year… barring coming back after six weeks.  I knew that wasn’t feasible for me. After all my planning, it came down to realizing I needed to stay home. That regardless of the obstacles in the way, it would be worth it.  It would be worth every minute.

Leaving that school, leaving my “perfect” role as Computer Specials teacher, giving up the opportunity for Haylee to be there.. all of it was very hard.  I’ve taught in several schools, and I can tell you that they are not all created equal.  I loved my job.  I loved teaching Computer, and I have been thrilled with the “lighter” schedule it provided.  I had virtually no take-home work.  I also had very little of the “disgruntled parent” syndrome since what little behavior issues I had in elementary were handed over to the classroom teacher.

Just like with any other life decision, I ultimately knew this is what God wanted me to do, and with that came the assurance that HE would work out all the details… whatever they might be.

While I was sad to have to leave my school and job and fellow teachers, I am beyond thrilled to have the chance to stay home with my little ones and am actually enjoying this something new that is otherwise known as Homeschooling.  :)

 

I am most definitely traditional in my style and as I’ve come to realize… traditional doesn’t seem to be the popular method in the homeschool world.  That’s okay though.  I’m okay with not being popular.  I’m in the camp of “school at home” and happy to say it.

That doesn’t mean that I do exactly what the curriculum tells me to the tee, because I didn’t do that as a classroom teacher either.  It doesn’t mean that we raise our hands to ask a question or keep ourselves glued to a schedule.  It does mean that we follow a curriculum put together by people that are much smarter than me even if it does squeeze our budget.  We use traditional “school” type things like assignment sheets, worksheets, and tests and quizzes {GASP}, because I feel much more confident in those types of learning.

We’re beginning our second year of this crazy Homeschooling Journey with my diligent 3rd grader, my wild and crazy tot schooler, and our 1 year old ‘wrecking ball’ completing the mix.  

Year number two brought a pretty significant change for our 3rd grader… Video School!  She was VERY excited about this NEW thing, and I am happy to say that this has been a great success for us all.  :)

One of our challenges is that we are Schooling in a {very} Small Space, so I have to be very creative in finding workable places to stash our ever multiplying HS paraphernalia while keeping some semblance of organization and beauty in our environment.  :)  Yes, quite the challenge, people, because clutter makes me CRAZY!

 

So far I haven’t managed to completely lose my sanity amid all my motherhood & homeschooling joy…

I’ll keep you posted.

You can catch up on all my homeschool ramblings and keep up with our learning fun by following along with this madness.