sweet moments and challenges in the first weeks

Sweet moments:

• seeing my son collect a towering pile of at least 20 books at the library - he could barely carry them all He said "I need this many books because I read like a whole book a day, Mom!"
• cooking together - he has chosen, on his own, to cook Tandoori chicken, a raspberry glace pie, and some others 
• snuggling up on the couch to read history ("The Story of the World" by Susan Wise Bauer) and hearing pleas to "keep reading Mom!"
• being able to volunteer at Aunt Molly's school, helping two new French students (he used his French, helped others, and helped Aunt Molly too)
• being able to allow him to play outside in the afternoons with all the neighborhood boys, never worrying about homework or a "to do list"
• hearing him share with his little brother and sister and Dad all the interesting things he had learned during the day (even days when I felt like we didn't do much of anything)
• never (or more accurately, rarely) having to wake him up 
• seeing him enjoy time with his 6 year old brother each morning

Challenges:

• having workers in and out of our house the first week of school - repairing ceiling and wall damage from a burst pipe in the basement
• getting sick the second week of school and fighting it off for 2 weeks
• trying to squeeze in errands
• trying to squeeze in exercise - I used to go to our health club mid-morning, now I'm trying to get up and exercise around 5:30/6:00, but we all know that doesn't always happen
• realizing that my perfect "school schedule" I had worked so hard on during the month of August needed to be thrown out the window
• feeling frustrated that we don't actually "do school" as much as I wish we would
• feeling like I am not spending enough time with my other two kids
• feeling like a frumpy mommy - lots of days staying in PJ's until noon, not taking a shower, never putting on nice clothes

Oh, the joys!  and oh the challenges!  yes, it is beautiful but not always easy-breezy!
Knowing how nervous I was to start, I now see that it is all a blessing, and most of all I am grateful to my husband for allowing and encouraging me to try homeschooling.  He works his butt off; and I am thrilled to be able to pour my heart into our home, children, and now their education....Thanks, love.

Volunteer work!

I can't imagine that my son would have the opportunity to volunteer in an elementary school and delivering Meals on Wheels if we were  not homeschooling. 

Aunt Molly works as an English Language Learner teacher at a school 20 minutes away.  She called the second week of school because she had a sweet family arrive from France with two children who spoke almost no English at all.  She wondered if my son could come to help.  What a terrific idea, Molly!

We have gone to the school twice to help translate/interpret for the two newcomers.  My son is able to volunteer, use his French, and help children younger than he is, all in a couple of hours in an afternoon.  The school staff really appreciate his help.  And he senses the joy of helping.  He will continue to help in the coming weeks as they adjust to the English language and academics.

We also deliver Meals on Wheels once every 5-6 weeks.  It does not require a big commitment.  It is a great way to serve together!  This experience has revealed (to my children) the quiet, hidden members of the community who can be so easily helped with this small work of delivering meals. 

My son doesn't volunteer tremendous hours of his time, but a little taste of serving others is a great helping of food for the soul at his young age. 

READING

My first real entry for my blog….  

It is only appropriate that I begin with reading.   

• I want my kids to love to read.   
• I want them to read A LOT.  
• I want them to have leisurely time to read literature they have chosen all on their own.    
• I want them to read literature that I have chosen.   
• I want to read out loud to them.

With the demands that we place on children – long school days, homework, music lessons, sports and other wonderful activities, where do you fit in “leisurely” reading?  Or reading at all?

This is one of the reasons that I am so thrilled to be homeschooling during the middle school years, when reading skills can really accelerate.

Homeschooling my 6^th grade son has certainly given us that time.  He reads an entire book every one to three days.   What began back in 1^st grade with the question of “Is he EVER going to READ?” has now become “Is he ever going to put the book down, turn out the light, and go to sleep?”  

I felt quite a bit of stress during my now 6th grader's early elementary years, when reading skills emerge, because it is difficult not to compare your child to other children.   Now  I am experiencing those same feelings with my kindergartner, who really does not have any desire to read on his own.  He LOVES to be read to, and he loves books – just looking at them on his own - but just doesn’t have the interest in deciphering the words.   And although I feel some pressure, I am not pushing him and I am not going to worry about it.  Am I?

My homeschooled son had some leisurely time at the library today, and when I found him with a stack of at least 20 books, it was a mommy moment of happiness.  He really does love to read!  I said, “Are you going to check out all those books?”  He looked at me with a big grin and said, “Mom, I read one book each day!” 

 

How cool is that?

the beginning...

 Disclaimer!  Warning!  This blog is not written by an experienced homeschooler!  No, in fact, I've only been homeschooling for 6 weeks!  In other words, I have no idea what I'm doing!

Furthermore, I have two children in public school right now.  Perhaps I should not even refer to myself as a "homeschool mom"!

Here's the deal.  I am proud of our public schools.  We moved into this school district specifically for the public schools.  I wanted my children to attend a language immersion school, and the high school here is continually rated as one of the best in the state.  

So, what the heck?  How is it that I write this blog? 

Well, I'm at the beginning.  I'm just launching here.... You know when you start some sort of a long-term project with no idea whether or not it will embark successfully or not?  Whether or not you'll fall flat on your face, fail, end up feeling ruined...or whether you might soar to places  never before imagined and experience a new found excitement?

This is An Experiment, folks.   This is one of Those Projects that I have taken on, and I'm just in the beginning of it.  I'm in my inaugural year.

It's quite simply that, well, I guess I just "want  my children back" in The Middle.  So here's my plan:  I intend to homeschool my kids between grades 6 and 8.  That's it.

Chances are, you know someone who homeschools, or have heard of someone who homeschools.  Here I am in my second month of this little adventure.

I actually wanted my son to blog with me.  To share with you his side of the story.  Unfortunately, he detested that idea.  And now I realize that I will have more freedom in writing, especially about him!  Seriously!   So, you'll get the one-sided view here.