We're Back......sort of....

We started almost 2 weeks ago but I have been lax in taking the obligatory beginning of the year photo or even posting about our return to our home classroom complete with new books, papers, pencils and all the normal "school" flair.  My original intent was that we would school through the summer so there would be no actual "First Day of School," rather "a constant progression of learning with frequent breaks" was more my plan. But I should have learned by now in my many years of revolving around on planet Earth -- Paula doesn't always get her way.

I digress and shift back a couple of month. It started on Saturday morning April 19th when I received a frantic early morning text then a phone call from my mother. My brother was in ICU after emergency brain surgery and was clinging to life on a ventilator. She had suffered through the wee hours of the morning without calling because she didn't want to bother me. OY VEY!!! Anyway, the world shifted upside down and we can began a very hectic ride on a very unpleasant roller coaster.

Suffice it to say, I basically moved to the hospital located 45 minutes away to wait with my mother around the clock until we got some direction from the doctors. During that time we prayed and waited. All the while, schooling stopped for us and my kiddo was shipped off to wonderful families that were willing to take him into their homes while hubby and I held vigil with my family. Two weeks passed on with this ordeal and my brother was deemed to have no brain activity. He never regained consciousness and we had to honor his advanced directive and remove him from life support. SIGH!!!  As very blessed side note, he was an organ donor and his gift saved the lives of three people.

The following weeks were spent planning a funeral, dealing with grieving, caring for his minor children and establishing some sense of normalcy in our lives. As a result of his death, his minor children were placed into the custody of my mother. In order to help her out, we took my nephew with us for a month. Not that we were in the mood or frame of mind to school, but it was very hard to attempt to school with my nephew here. He attends public school and in his mind, he was on vacation and also in a period of mourning.  Rightfully so! Plus, none of us had the emotional energy to "buckle down." So, we enjoyed ourselves and tried to make him as happy as possible with the passing of his dad.

A couple of weeks later, hubby came down with something and to this day he is seeing doctor after doctor to try and figure it out. So, here we are!! April came in like a LION and kept roaring all through the summer and it still purring pretty loudly in August.

I must say that we have been doing a pretty good job of getting some school work done and my star pupil has stepped up this year. Hard to believe he is in the 5th grade. It is amazing how independent he can be when I get out of the way!!

I tested him all the first week using Hewitt Homeschooling PASS testing to give me a benchmark. The second week (last week), we started our curriculum but I haven't added everything in just yet. We are taking BIG baby steps (how's that for an oxymoron?) and biting off big pieces but not shoveling in the whole thing.

Here's the line up for us this year:

• My Father's World - Rome to Reformation
• Math U See
• IEW - Writing
• Winston Grammar (which he enjoys  -- really, he loves to do this program)
• Phonetic Zoo
• Rosetta Stone (Spanish)
• Handwriting without Tears (general cursive review)
• SKrafty - Minecraft Classes
• STEM classes weekly with our homeschool group 
• Cross Country Team
• Stroke School in preparation for the swim team

I am sure I am forgetting something and you know what? -- That's okay!! I've had a lot on my plate and it's completely understandable. I am giving myself permission to just roll with it this year and take it literally one day at a time! I know God is Good - all the time -- All the time -- God is Good!! 

Hope everyone has a blessed school year!! 

Taking it a day at a time,

Paula

We survived our first day!

We made it! We did it!! Self-back-pats all around!!! The official first day of our 4th grade homeschool year is behind us!! My kiddo and I made it through unscathed but slightly scared!! I didn't realize how much work we have to cover this year!!

A couple of weeks ago, I made the lesson plans for the first couple of weeks and boy did I overbook us. I must admit, it could be part attitude and timing that makes me feel shell-shocked today! We just returned late Saturday night from a Caribbean vacation where we completely unplugged. In my effort to get ahead, I did not factor in my sluggish attitude when I enthusiastically scheduled our first weeks of schooling. Ironically, it was more my attitude than my kiddo. He said several times throughout the day, how much he was liking it. Not sure if that was a caffeine-deprived hallucination that I was suffering or if he really liked it.

As I reflect back on our day, I must give him credit that he kept a great attitude,  he really did seem to be enjoying most of what we did and he adapted well to the our new curriculum choices for the year. The lesson I learned today is this -- don't allow yourself to come back from vacation and be out of French Vanilla Cappuccino K-cups!! It's made for a rough day for me! The kiddo on the other hand is giving today a "thumbs up."

Planning for a better day tomorrow with caffeine and all! (And no I didn't write that in my planner - but maybe I should!!!)  Dinner is in the crock pot, the laundry from 8 days of paradise is washing and drying and I think it's time I made a run to the store to pick up that much needed caffeine for tomorrow's lessons. At least, that's how this momma is going to make it through homeschool tomorrow!!

Why we Homeschool

I can't believe the summer flew by like it did!! We were so busy and I must confess that we didn't even get to close to my idealistic summer plans of "light schooling." Kiddo, for the most part, completed his required daily 20 minutes of reading and did his 15 minutes on Dreambox.com, but we did little else. But that's all water under the proverbial bridge and we are fired up and ready to go.

I say, "WE" because my kiddo is excited to move into the 4th grade. A week and half ago, I pulled out our brand new Math U See, which is new to us this year. Kiddo watched the first video in which Steve Demme tells the students they should be proficient in the prior steps before moving on. I was very proud of my son when he said, "Mom, not sure I am ready for this as you and I both know, I don't know the other stuff really well." Proud moment but then I scrambled and ordered the next level down with the reminder to my son that he would be moving on to the current math level in no time.

That's one of the things, I love about homeschooling is that there is no pressure to be like everyone else or to be on the same level as everyone else. I love the diversity in approaches and curriculum choices. What I once deemed as overwhelming had become comforting in the variety of choice. I don't feel "stuck" if something isn't working. I am becoming one of those homeschool moms that has a closet or box of curriculum that didn't work for us, but am happy to say, we have found some that work really well.

My goal is to keep my kiddo motivated, encouraged and confident in the work that he does. He likes the idea of being in 4th grade, but I think he really likes the reality that he is right where he needs to be in regards to his education progress. Gone are those days where he feels inadequate because some kids are "getting it" while he struggles. Gone are those days in which he feels insecure because he has questions and is too afraid to raise his hand.  He's in a safe environment in which he can be himself and learn in his own way! Bringing him home from institutionalized education is helping him blossom and grow! He is free to raise his own bar and does so exceptionally well!!

That is one of the main reasons why this momma homeschools.

Why Join a Homeschool Group

I am now heading into my third year on this homeschool adventure. In many ways, I still feel ill-equipped and quite wobbly with the sea legs of a novice homeschooler but, in other ways, I am pretty seasoned. Not sure exactly when it happened, but I now find myself with the tables turned answering questions from new and prospective homeschool families. I will be the first to admit, that I don't know everything and believe me I still do my share of asking ALOT of questions. Let's face it, this homeschool process is different for all of us and as each year comes, new questions and situations plague us.

Lately, I have been asked by several people about if and why should they join a homeschool group. I guess for me, joining a homeschool group was a non-issue. Let me start with a little back story.

My kiddo went to public school for two years (and even a short three week stint in a charter school).  Conversely, his best friend has never entered the hallowed halls of institutionalized education.  He and his family belonged to a local homeschool group that met at a local park as my kiddo was getting out of school. As a result, our calendar was consistently booked on Thursdays from 230p-430p to meet with his friend and the 50+ homeschool children at the park. So, for two years I listened to these mommies talk about homeschool and I sat back with that "I could never do that" and "good for you - but not for me" attitude, all the while being accepted by the group as an honorary member of the homeschool group. Shhhhh - don't tell -- but I actually pulled my kiddo out of school to attend a few field trips with his friend as part of the group. Therefore, when I made the plunge to start homeschooling when my son was entering 2nd grade, it was a no-brainer and relative non-issue that I join this homeschool group.  After all, I had already been grafted-in with my two-year non-paying attendance. LOL.

The following year, I joined a second and third, while still belonging to the first. You may ask - "Why join? and Why join more than one?  Great questions!! I have learned that just as no two homeschool families are alike, no two homeschool groups are alike. They each offer something different and give my family a chance to experience more and grow in our homeschool experience.

Over the years, the groups have offered me support, encouragement and friendship. In my estimation, this is something that homeschool parents need more than anything. Many of my friends and family didn't understand why I had decided to homeschool so, it was nice to be with like-minded people that helped me navigate those early days of my journey and still come alongside to shore me up when I need it. Vice versa - it's reciprocal - -I give now too and for me, there is something liberating and freeing about feeling needed and valued, in essence to be a part of something.

As I mentioned above, I belong to three groups in my area. The first, is what I refer to as my "social" group. It's the one that has a weekly meeting day and time at the local park where I can converse with my homeschool friends and my son can run with wild abandon and get lost in the land of light saber wars with his friends. This group also does parties - so he doesn't miss out on the celebrations. We have a welcome back to school party, a Christmas party, Valentine's Day party complete with exchange, Easter party and year end party!  My kiddo was used those in the school environment so he loves to still be able to do these things.  This group also does a lot of field trips!

The second group I belong to, I initially joined because that was where the organized sports were located. In the past couple of years, it has grown to be more social and offers field trips - thus diversifying the offerings I can choose from during our school year.  We are blessed that this group has an actual building in which we can meet and offer classes to our kids. So, the kids get a chance to attend structured classes ranging from the basics of the 3 R's up to fencing/drama/chess/ and many other extracurricular opportunities.

The third group I belong to is through a local church and it is truly support only. We get together on occasion but it is more of forum to ask questions, share, give direction and support one another.

Homeschool groups vary in size and offerings. Many have a formal membership process and collect dues. My first 2 groups, have a year book and year end promotion ceremonies too.  I will tell you that even without all the offerings of the groups, I have met some very genuine people who believe in educating their children, really care for another and share a sense of community. In these groups, I have found that we come alongside one another with losses of jobs, deaths, sickness, meals, childcare, and wonderful prayer partners. It's a sense of family and instant community.

Homeschooling can be as rigorous and frustrating, as it is rewarding and motivating! The answer to the question as to should they join, the answer is like all related to homeschooling -  it really depends on what you want to do and how it works for your family. Personally, I am not sure I could have made it this far without the homeschool groups in my area.  But that's just me and this is how this momma homeschools!

Check out the FPEA website under Find Your District to locate a homeschool group near you.

Almost ready!!!

Woo Hoo!! We are ready to go with the new school year. Well, to be fair G doesn't share the same level of excitement and enthusiasm as I do. If I squint really hard when I look at him, I can make almost make out a little smile. No, not really! But, a girl can dream!!

How did we get here? Well, it all started with clearing off the boxes that had taken over my spare room. I don't even know why we have a bed in there. I think it just so I don't take up hoarding things as it is really hard to put things neatly upon and around the bed. Anyway, I digress!!

Since the beginning of summer, anything school related or anything "I don't want to deal with right now" has been delegated to the spare room. And for some reason, I seem to develop selective amnesia about that part of the house. Then one day, I walk in there and think "oh my -- how did all this stuff get in here???"  This truly happens to me just prior to Christmas, near Easter,  when we're expecting guests and just before school starts. So, it's time for the quarterly cleaning and organizing.

So, G and I dug in on the room yesterday and much to my surprise, he really was excited to see the different books and projects we will be working on this year. As we cleaned, we talked about all the cool things we were going to learn and how we could incorporate different projects, field trips and activities into the year. So, in essence I guess he is a little more excited than I gave him credit for in my opening.

I don't think that I have mentioned that in our home, we don't have a school room or even a school area. Last year, we used rolling carts with drawers to keep our school supplies and books together. We would roll them out each morning to the dining room table to get started. I found that I started stacking the school books at the far end of the table or in one of the empty chairs because somewhere along the line, we weren't as diligent about clearing the area.  I really dislike clutter thus the reason I have a spare room with a door that I can close. (Hey, it's all making sense!)

Well, this year I purchased a heavy duty crate cart to hold our books. That put less weight on the rolling drawer carts and the wheels won't fall off. Another possible reason that contributed to our lack of diligence. Hmmmmm.... Anyway, we cleaned out the old carts and loaded up the books into my heavy duty rolling cart. In the end,  I was so elated since everything that had once taken up a queen size bed was now stored conveniently in a much smaller space. We did however have  a nice pile of boxes in which G claimed as his very own for a "project" that has yet to be determined. Oh well, at least the bed is cleaned off, the supplies are ready to go and the boxes are neatly stacked in and around each other. Now it's my mission and I choose to accept it - to squirrel those boxes out to the trash a couple at a time.

G shouldn't be too upset because after all, we have to start our pre-Christmas hoarding about now. That should give him something to look forward to!! LOL

Meet the Fam!

I guess if I am going to write about our journey, then I should tell you a little about our family.
We are made up of a trio of silly, sarcastic, polar opposites. We're all easily distracted thus you have to get our attention quickly and do something interesting to keep it.

Me: Well, I am the teacher in the group or at least facilitator of all that is "homeschool." At least that is dubious title given to me by the other two in the family. I like to say I am the typical type-A personality yet I am a study in contradictions. I like structure but I don't like to put anything in pencil on my calendar. I abhor making appointments or plans more than 2 days in advance, but I like to know what we're doing. I like someone to tell me what needs to be done but I want to be the one who decides HOW, WHEN and even WHAT portions I want to do.  I need guidance, but don't like hand-holding. I am a list-maker but at the same time don't like to make lesson plans. I would rather document what I accomplished vs what needs to be done. I love to read!! I enjoy learning and would be a professional student if there were any money in it. I have a fascination with Disney and like to write. My writing however borders on the tongue-in-cheek style and I don't take myself too seriously.

Hubby: I like to call him the Principal of our little school. We are blessed that he works from home unless he is traveling. During the summer months, he's been gone almost weekly. It appears from his calendar that he will be home near the start of our school year. As for his traits, he is a techy, logical thinker. He is the one who also helps out with the mechanics of things, enjoys doing the science experiments and breaks down lengthy explanations or instructions to a "for dummies" version for yours truly. He is a kid at heart, so when the two them put their minds together, I am out-gunned and might as well call it a day.

Kiddo: I will refer to him as "G." He is a textbook strong-willed child. He spent 2 years in public school so I use that to my advantage as motivation to get him to do his work. I have found that he is a kinesthetic learner and he totally dislikes worksheets. Worksheets are one way to cause him to tune out. But give him Lego blocks to manipulate or teach him by allowing him to use his hands and he is all over it! He is also very lovable, enjoys time with the family and wishes all learning could be done with Star Wars, Legos or video games. In essence, he is a typical 8 year old boy. G is much like his father in their learning approach. They avoid formal learning at all costs. My tactic is to sneak in as much as I can without their knowing. Similar to hiding veggies in the spaghetti sauce. (shhhhhh!!! It's a secret).

I almost forgot, we do have one more member of the family. She is our pup and if I had to classify her, she is our distraction. Ever-ready to play and none-too-understanding of her boy having sit down and not pay attention to her. During the school day, she is surrounded by chew toys and rawhide bones.

Well, that's some information about us. As I post, I am sure more interesting or at least amusing aspects of our dynamic will appear. At the very least, I am sure I will learn a little something more about us too. As I said earlier, I love to learn. And, I especially love homeschooling in my PJs.

So, stay in your PJs, grab a cup of coffee and join us!

Getting started

Back today from speaking at a local Homeschool event on my first year of homeshooling my 2nd grader. Umhmmm, I mean now to be 3rd grader!  I was impressed by the other speakers and how much wealth and wisdom they have to offer.

It hit me that we are all at different stages of our lives no matter our journey. None of us - let me repeat, NONE OF US, has it all figured out and no longer have any capacity to learn or even teach others through our experiences. We have unlimited capacity to learn and to share!!

If life as taught me anything is that people need each other and shared experiences are the thread that draws us all together.

Life cannot be done alone as I don't believe the good Lord intended us to be alone. I believe that we are   wired to desire and need other interactions. In essence, we are relational creatures.

I created this blog for a couple of reasons:

1.  To have an outlet to ramble, ponder, rant and even brag about my family's homeschool adventures. 
2. To pass on even a snippet of my experiences in hopes that they may help or at least amuse others. 
3. Finally, I think it's okay to offer validation to others and for all us to know that there is no right or wrong way to homeschool your children. In my house, we like to homeschool in our PJs!! 

Follow along and there is no telling what I will write or share!!