Open House

This weekend I was trying to figure out something I could tell you guys about myself that would be "news to you" and helpful. I got to thinking about this week and my son going back to school. And, I wondered if everybody knew that I was a homeschooling mom last year. Well, I was. Last year was my first and last year, by design. I am going to share a little about my experience, because I'm proud we got through it. Also, I feel like the more you get to know Tara and I and the array of experiences we have the more you may be inspired to share your stories and ask us your questions.

The situation was this- David was deployed for the 3d year out of the last 5. He had already missed Thomas' kindergarten, 2nd grade, 3d grade (for training) and was going to miss 4th too. I was finishing grad school and doing an internship- two 10 hour days a week. My daughter was 1.5 when we started. Everyone, not military, thought I was crazy. I had enough on my plate according to mom and mom-in-law. I explained to them that even though David had been gone like crazy, we were not adjusting to this time as well as we had adjusted to others in the past. Specifically, there had been more stomach-aches and sick days on my 3d grader's behalf. I thought that maybe the flexibility, the change of pace, and together time would help.

My mission- Become a homeschool expert, conduct 4th grade so that Thomas wouldn't have any "lost time" when he returned to public 5th grade, and start an "at-home" lifestyle. True to the Army Wife Life way, I was in for a year full of new experiences and changes. But, speaking from the other end of it, looking back, we LOVED it.

Here are some answers to the questions I typically received. I didn't join a homeschool association. I used a mixture of Shirley English and Abeka Math and Science. My daughter stayed home with us and developed a great friendship with her brother; she learned a lot from him too. My son stayed integrated with other kids his age through Sunday School, community sports, and different activities offered at the local college. I won't go into why I made the decisions I made, but if anyone wants to know more about the details, I welcome any questions.

Spending more time together was wonderful. There were reporting requirements for GA, but beyond that, we were not limited at all. The flexibility allowed us the time and ability to take two big trips. We saw old lava flows, the Rocky Mountains, Smoky Bear's birth and final resting place. We traveled the Appalachian Mountains, visited family we haven't seen in years, and followed old pathways of early explorers. The list goes on. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and learned so much as a family.

Yes, we're going back to public school this year for a whole different set of reasons. But, I would definitely consider doing one year of homeschooling with my daughter; we were that productive and had that much fun. So many said I couldn't do it or furthermore that they couldn't do it. I say, we can do anything if we are motivated by the right reasons and take the bad with the good. It's the challenges that we learn most from for sure.

p.s. Two sites that I would recommend are www.bookadventure.com which is an online version of the program where you read books for points and prizes (used in a lot of schools nowadays) and www.brainpop.com. BrainPop has a search feature that you can use to search for videos and activities that align with your state's standards by grade and subject. Check them out. And, like I said- if you want to know more, just ask.