When I first had kids there were some things I swore I would and wouldn't do. I swore my kids would never be THOSE kids screaming down the aisles of the grocery store. They are. I swore I'd raise them in downtown Salem so they'd have a rich sense of art and culture. We live in the middle of nowhere and hicksville is our culture. And I swore I would NEVER, EVER homeschool. Well, guess what? Yup.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against homeschooling at all. To each his own. I think its great if you're a mom who loves spending endless amounts of time with her kids and has oober amounts of patience to go with it. (Notice the sarcasm?) But I am NOT one of those moms. At least in my own mind. In God's mind however, He apparently seems to think otherwise. Because when all the options were weighed between driving 20 minutes to the nearest school, applying for a district transfer, or paying $20,000 a year for private school, homeschool won out. Trust me, I looked at all the pros and cons of this new situation. And you bet I begged God for something different. Something that allowed more "me time". Something that wasn't going to stretch me as a mom quite so much. But in the end, we applied to a distance learning program on a whim and surprisingly, got accepted!
I am writing this blog post to update everyone who has been praying for us on this journey, knowing I am not much of a "homeschooler". Teaching was not one of those spiritual gifts I was blessed with. I am a quiet person who likes her quiet time and homeschooling doesn't quite allow for that. But you know what? Our first week of homeschool is nearly done...and nobody died!
Our days so far look a little like this: wake up around 6:30 am then eat breakfast and get ready. By 8:00 am our school day is starting. We start off with prayer and a devotional from the kids version of Jesus Calling. We do a reading lesson, read a library book, do some math, and take a Spanish lesson. We take a break or two in between to tidy up any messes, make our beds, etc. Then we're done...at 10 am! Now we still have some curriculum on its way, so our day will lengthen with these new courses coming. But we certainly still have time in our day for free-time, giggling, dance lessons, and our favorite activity, watching movies. And the lessons seem bearable for the kids, and most importantly, for their mother/teacher. :) I know the school days ahead will have its challenges. School is not easy no matter where you go or who your teacher is. But we now have the blessing of flexibility. Of choosing to sleep in, take a day off, or learn "real world" stuff instead of just what's in the books. I'm hoping to grow more flexible myself and learn just as much as my kiddos through this journey. And maybe someday, even consider myself a real "homeschooling mom". :)
I am a stay-at-home mom of two little girls who has decided to write a blog because, well, "everyone's doing it" and what better way to spend my precious time! I also hope to start documenting my many blessings and in the process become my very own therapist. So...Enjoy! And by all means, eat a cupcake while you read it.
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