The Journey Begins

I know, it's not Wednesday, but I think it is still safe to post today. This week my nieces and nephews are heading back to school. They are all excited but I get a bit sad when they go back as do my girls because that means we are back to not seeing them as much as we get to during the summer. This year, my youngest niece, "Fishy", starts full day kindergarten!! I can't believe it! Regardless, that got me to thinking back to when we started school with Doodle.

The decision to homeschool was a tough one for me. I came from a teaching background. I am a certified teacher as are my mom and sister. I have no qualms with knowing that there are very wonderful God-fearing teachers in every school. I do believe that because I lived it when I was teaching. I knew God can work in those schools. So if that is true, what lead me down the road to homeschool? That seems like a perfect question to answer in a Walk Down Memory Lane with my blogging buddy, Lynnette Kraft.

My girls and I at Park Mammoth Resort Doodle's first year of school.

When my nephew was in kindergarten, he still stayed with us for half a day. I loved watching him and finding out all about his day. What I did not enjoy seeing was the struggle he had once he started school. Now I will say right now that his learning style is not one that you go into a classroom, sit down, do your paperwork and be quiet. He is a kid who LOVES to ask questions, touch everything, and find out all he can know about that topic. Then he likes to tell you or anyone who will listen about what he learned. That style of learning does not make it as easy to succeed in a "typical" school setting. Now there are teachers out there that could and would make that work, but what I witnessed in his first two years of school was a bit shocking to me as an aunt but also as a mom of a little girl who learned very similarly.

Doodle's drama debut as a cow during a creative drama class. (fall 2005)

You see, over the years of watching him, I had encouraged he and Doodle to ask questions. I knew that the best way to become a lifelong learner is to ask questions and seek answers. That is great, but not for a typical classroom. I watched this little guys fun loving, carefree spirit for learning turn into something I can't put word to. Besides that, there was the issue of "fitting in" with the kids. He didn't fit in. He still doesn't for the most part and truly I know his parents don't want him to. Fitting in means being focused on self, material possessions and not caring for others who are less or have less than you. He has a heart for God and sees in others what other kids miss. For that he gets called names at times and that is very hurtful but it does not stop him. He also is able to share Jesus in school when he has the opportunity through various papers or speeches. Very cool!2005/2006 school year brought Bean into the mix more. In history we were learning about ziggurats and made them in the above picture. We also took time for service projects. We decorated pillow cases and filled them with school supplies, clothes, shoes and such for kids in Nepal.

Regardless, when I saw what had happened to him, I felt a strong conviction because I had felt that I had somehow encouraged this love of questions. (since then I know that is not true...he just is that way!:) My husband had always wanted me to homeschool. He is my biggest cheerleader and felt that my girls deserved the "best teacher" and that would be me. (his words not mine!) As flattering as that was to hear, I truly felt that choosing to do this would be saying I hated my profession which made me feel like a traitor! I felt such an inner turmoil.

February 2006, we went to Romania on our first family mission trip. Here we are in Budapest, Hungary before we returned home. Nothing like walking through history!!

We started praying about this choice when Doodle was only 4. I had no desire to take this journey. Why would anyone WANT to do this? Only those freaky people do this! Oh, the judgmental things I had going through my head at that point. God knew I needed to see the other side! :) After many prayers, we decided to take the plunge and see if we could make this happen. We attended the homeschool convention that spring before Doodle started kindergarten. I recall walking in that building with such an arrogance! I just thought since I had a teaching background I "knew" what to do. I just knew I had a heads up on these little homeschoolers! Haha!! I knew NOTHING!! God also has a way of humbling you in the areas we think most of ourselves, doesn't He! :) I am grateful for that.Perk of homeschool: school on the road. Matt had meetings in Nashville, so we took school and went along. Our motto for the week: "school then pool"! Great memories! Fall 2007

That first year was fairly easy for Doodle as she was already reading. We did school while Bean was napping in the afternoon, which allowed the girls to have their "normal" play time all day long. She was just excited to learn about all kinds of new things. I remember telling a friend of mine at the time that I didn't know how long we would do this. We would take one year at a time and see how it goes. That was almost 7 years ago now! That little girl is now going into 6th grade and her little sister is in 3rd. I can't imagine not being a part of their schooling now. Making a lemon battery. Spring 2009

God does have a sense of humor as well. I thought after finding stuff for Doodle that it would make it easier for her little sister...but that is not the case. We are still learning what is best for our kids learning styles. What works for Doodle normally will not work for Bean. I have experimented with LOTS of curriculum choices. I struggled to want to like what my friends used but I just didn't. Finally, I have found what works for us and we have been in a groove for the past couple years. I think it took us at least three years to fully get into some kind of plan that would set our kids on a path for success. We did not know what to expect. We were having fun with the freedom as well as just hanging out with our girls.

We love to do projects that coordinate with what we are learning. Guess what we are learning in the above picture? Spring 2009

One thing that has become a huge blessing in all of this has been the fact that I have learned that I love hanging out with my girls. I love their sense of humor and their hearts for learning. We get to work on heart issues as they arise no matter what else we are doing. We have the freedom to set math aside and deal with a heart of anger or selfishness when needed. That has been a great gift. I also am still learning as we go along! I love finding out things I may have studied but since forgotten. I thrive to teach them to be lifelong learners and to seek out answers for their questions. I am so thankful that I listened to my husband and did what he really wanted me to do even though at the time I could not picture me fitting in to this world of homeschoolers. God's plans are not always ones that make sense but they always make peace. :)

My girls and I at the beach this past Spring Break. What a joy to have so many fun memories. Obedience is such a blessing! Thank you, God, for giving us the joy you have through our journey.