Why I'm homeschooling

I know I've posted about the disappointment Matt and I have felt in the private school our children have been attending and the fact that our public school is not an option for us. I've met resistance from family, teachers and friends about the decision to homeschool next year (and possible every year) and I too have had my doubts. Why am I homeschooling? Well the current situation might have pushed me in that direction but now that I've done my research and talked to current and former homeschoolers I'm confident in my choice to take this on. I know this for sure, my family is my world and my job as a Mother is to raise my kids to be the best adults they can be. Homeschool is not for everyone and you need to be 100% on board to accomplish this goal.

My two friends (that will be homeschooling with me next year) and I went to The Home Educators Association of Virginia's conference this past Thursday and while I was listening to one of the speakers this thought hit me - If your child is having trouble in school you get them a tutor so they can catch up. Why does the tutor work so well? Because it's one on one teaching/learning and it moves at the child's pace - Homeschooling is like your child having his own personal tutor for 12 years, how can that be a bad thing?

We are excited that we get to handpick all the non-skill subjects. Growing up in Virginia all of my History classes consisted of the American Revolution or the Civil War. I didn't learn any world history until I went to college! Marty asked to learn about Ancient Greece and Rome. For Science class I got him a book about Genes and DNA and a book about inventors, when he saw the books Friday morning he got so excited he started reading them right there on the spot!

In the past 17 years Matt and I have had our ups and downs but one thing my husband has always been is my champion. He always respects my decisions and never tells me that I'm wrong. He doesn't always agree with me but he ALWAYS supports me, something I wish I could get from other people. This weekend he told me he knew I would do a good job and could see that I was getting excited about starting and then he told me he was proud of me. I know that crazy man loves me but knowing that he is proud of me and will be there for me makes this entire journey that much sweeter.

Last year after both of my kids were in school full time I wrote this post. I felt this way for a month and then I just got used to them being gone for most of the day. Now I get the best of both worlds. I love my kids and hope that homeschool will not only teach them a great deal but will bring us closer as a family.

http://eykamphaus.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-chapter.html

p.s. Summer vacation has been going well and we're looking forward to a vacation in Florida in July!

Reflection

I'm thankful...

he can still make me laugh after 16 years

we waited to get married

my Father is my hero

his father is his hero

he's a father

I didn't miss a minute of it

that he's curious

I still have a my best friend

I got a second chance

they love each other

we chose wisely

they were born on the same day

we took on this project

it snowed for them this year

she makes me smile 1000 times a day

Sometimes I forget all that I have.

I could name at least a hundred more but these are the highlights.

What are you Thankful for this year?

Kathy

A complete U Turn....

I started pulling out my Halloween decorations (my kids have been bugging me for a week) and I was going to originally write my post about that. When I decided to write this blog I was going to dedicate it to "Our crazy life" not just decoration and renovating. I find it to be my therapy sometimes. I have one close friend that I can talk to about everything but she lives 4 hours away and I only talk to her a couple times a month. My family is no longer as close as I would like, in heart not proximity, so I find that sometimes I have no one to confide in. It helps me to write, even if no one is reading. I'm not going to be one of those bloggers who goes out and spends a fortune to totally redecorate their homes just to snap a few pictures and show off to blogland. I don't have the time or money for that. I love going to the Goodwill and thrift stores to find something old and seeing how little I can spend. It's the bargain hunter in me and if I were to win the lottery I would still try to find the perfect deal.

I didn't get married until I was 32, I wasn't a mother until I was 34. I lived by myself for 10 years and had parties and went to parties. I dated, had fun, had a career, had a house, drank to excess, went shopping and did all the things a young person should do. I also tucked myself into bed every night and didn't have anyone to check on or kiss while they were asleep. The only thing I ever wanted to be when I was little was my Mother. We had a perfect childhood. My Dad was home every night at 6:00 for dinner my Mamma came to every school function. She packed lunches, checked homework, broke up fights and kissed us goodnight every night. She didn't have a "girls weekend", didn't see her friends for lunch or drinks, didn't work outside the home. My Dad took us places; to the park, long drives for lunch, to the drive in movies (telling my age!), showed up for every Choral concert I had and yelled "Way to go Kathy" every time he saw me. I adored my Grandparents and all of my extended family (there are a lot of us!).

Being a wife has had it's challenges but being a Mother is all encompassing. At least that's the way choose to live it. Right now it's not about me or my husband; it's about our kids. "Home is where the heart is" I always knew that but not until I had kids did completely understand it. You see, when your children are born your heart leaves your body - all of the sudden your heart is walking around with someone else! I have found I do somethings different than my Mother. I do have lunch with my friends, sometimes even drinks. I have a part time job and I'm certainly not as patient but at the end of the day my children and my husband love me and I want to be Home with them as much as I can.


Pretty soon my kids will be too old to hang out with their parents so while they are young I'm going to take advantage of every minute I can get. My son once told me he felt bad because before I had kids I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. I explained that he was right, but I had had my time to do those things and now was his and Louisa's turn. When they got older I would have "my time" again (although I probably won't want it!).



I'm not trying to keep up with the Jones or anyone else. I'm just trying to keep with with my family and hope that when my children are grown they'll think I did a good job and want to come back to see me.

Kathy

Conflicted

They're driving me crazy today.

There I said it! Most days it's fine but today is my day to be short tempered and impatient. Today is their day to not listen and push my buttons. While I was brushing my teeth I was sadly thinking that I only have a few more weeks with them before school starts. I don't know how I'm going to get through the first day when I drop them off. The last 3 years I have taken Louisa to breakfast right after we dropped Marty off at his first day of school. Who am I going with this year? Who's going to help me punch my time card on my first day back to work? Louisa was always there with me, now who is going to reach up on their tippy toes and pull the handle for me?

Then I came downstairs and my two sweet babies had been replaced by two little monsters. "She hit me." "Because you called me butt face." "We need to go, we're going to be late." "Why does he always get to go first?" "Because I like him better." "I know you don't like him better, you're just saying that. He hit me again." "I didn't hit you. I tapped you." "Well stop tapping your sister." "Hey, she hit me back." "I tapped you too!" "Will you both please stop hitting or I'm going to hit you!!!"

Quiet in the car because they're pissed at Mamma. So I'm thinking again, what am I going to do with all that time? Who am I going to eat lunch with? "Get your feet off of me!!!" "You started it!"

I guess it's going to be like this for the next 26 days.

How did my sweet children go from this:

To this???

It happened in a blink of an eye, while I wasn't looking!

One minute I'm crying because my kids are going back to school the next I sending the little creeps to their rooms! I think it's a plan, it's so you'll want to send them out into the world. Go, for heaven's sake just go! But please come back; come back soon and tell me all you have learned. But be quiet because your giving me a headache with all that talking! Need me but not all the time, just when I need to be needed.

Today I went to get a cup of coffee from a little shop downtown. While we were sitting there I looked out the window and saw a lady wheeling a suitcase down the sidewalk and put it in her car. I told the kids, "See that lady with the suitcase? She's running away from home because her kids are driving her crazy. See the big smile on her face??". Don't think I'm too mean because I mess with my kids so much the don't believe anything I tell them. They both just laughed and said she wouldn't leave her kids! Yea, right!

But I know she (I) would come back because you can't live without your heart. Even if your heart gives you attacks every now and again.

Kathy