How to start homeschooling

The school year is coming to a close and there are some parents who are considering homeschooling for the first time in the Fall.

Here are a few tips I would give if you are "on the fence":

• Read books and learn about homeschooling. One book I recommend is So You're Thinking about Homeschooling by Lisa Whelchel. You can visit her website at http://www.lisawhelchel.com/.
• Talk to families that are already homeschooling. Ask questions. Talk to the parents and the kids. Go on message boards. Learn all you can.
• Consider all of the advantages in homeschooling - family bonding, less hectic pace, customized curriculum, etc.

Once you decide to homeschool, follow these steps:

• Decide which type of homeschooler you want to be: traditional "school-at-home", unschooling, etc. Many families find a "school-at-home" approach to be reassuring during the first year - with texts, tests, etc. - because it is similar to the school situation. It also is helpful for new homeschoolers to have a set curriculum to follow.
• Once you decide what you are going to use - texts, unit studies, unschooling - then prepare for some research. One excellent place to go to research curricula is http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/ - they have tons of reviews, and they have saved me a lot of money I would have possibly wasted on curricula that wouldn't suit my kids.
• Find out the legal requirements in your state and do what you need to do. Don't procrastinate on this! Go to http://www.hslda.org/ for info.
• Join homeschool groups - both online and offline - to learn from more experienced homeschoolers and to find social activities.
• Don't get overwhelmed - just do things one step at a time.
• Be sure to order your materials early! Don't wait until August to place an order and expect it to arrive on time! :o)

I am sure others will be able to add to this list. Above all - relax!! Enjoy your homeschooling journey.

Meetup.com

I have belonged to a site for years called Meetup.

Meetup.com has groups for just about any subject imaginable. They have homeschool groups, WAHM groups, parenting groups, sci-fi lover groups and a host of other things. From animal lover groups to vegan groups and anything in between, they have it.

Best of all, you can either join an existing group or start your own group.

Go to the site and search by subject or ZIP Code. See what is in your area.

I have 3 groups on Meetup.com - one for weight loss, one for homeschooling families, and one for WAHM's.

Check them out! I am sure you will find a group you like!

The "seasons" in a woman's life

The Bible tells us there is a time for everything. (Ecc. 3:1)

As I look back over the past 40 years, I can clearly see the different seasons. I was a child, then a teen, then a single adult, then married, then kids, then single again (with kids this time), and now married with even more kids. LOL

But now I am finding myself approaching a new season: having older kids and preparing for those kids to leave the "nest".

Now, don't get me wrong: I still have a little one who is only 3, so the nest won't be comletely empty for a while! But the older ones are getting closer to being adults.

As such, my responsibilities for them are changing, and they are shifting. While they don't need the kind of supervision my toddler does, they need a different kind of supervision and guidance that comes with them becoming more physically mature and yet still being emotionally and mentally immature.

Also, I have to envision what MY future self will be. When a I have a completely empty nest, I will have quite a few years left in me (I hope), so I need to prepare myself for that.

I have enrolled in college and will be graduating around the time my oldest turns 18.

I have chosen a field that will lend itself well to doing what I am doing already - working from home.

I am excited about this new season and will keep you updated. :D

Go watch the lunar eclipse!

The lunar eclipse is visible tonight!

Totality begins at 10:01 pm Eastern time.

This is the last total lunar eclipse until 2010 - so it is great to get the kids seeing it.

On a lighter note

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'
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Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only..Ladies Forbidden'...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
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The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
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Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S . Treasury.
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Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
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Coca-Cola was originally green.
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It is impossible to lick your elbow.
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The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
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The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)
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The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
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The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400
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The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000
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Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
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The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
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The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
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Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
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111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
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If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
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Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
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Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
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Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession
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Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'?
A. One thousand
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Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All were invented by women.
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Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
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Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day
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In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... 'goodnight, sleep tight.'
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It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
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In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'
It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'
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Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.
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At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!
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Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
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YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when...
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

A whole new approach to education

Actually, it's not "new" - it's "old."

Heart of Wisdom is a homeschooling resource that I have been looking at for a while now. Now is the time of year for homeschoolers to begin thinking about gearing up for next year. (Yes, I know it's early, but curricula needs to be decided upon and bought in advance.)

Reasons why I really like the HOW approach:

• I like the approach used by HOW. It is designed on a 4-year plan, and it covers all of the required subjects. It also has a 4-step approach to lessons, and it is based on the Hebrew education style (as opposed to the Greek education style taught in schools).
• It seems less structured, so I feel it is going to be a good "fit" for my daughter, but there is still plenty of content - so it will challenge my son.
• Part of the lessons are "how this helps me in everyday life." - how many times have you heard students ask, "When am I ever going to use this?"
• There is a heavy emphasis on the Bible.
• There are a LOT of Internet links in the lessons.
• There is an emphasis on writing.

My only drawback is that it does look time-consuming for the parent, but that is okay.

I am going to spend the next few days/weeks poking around the website and seeing what I think, but it really does look like a good curriculum to use.

If anyone has used this (or if you know of a fantastic curriculum), feel free to leave a comment!

Do what you are passionate about

I had several emails about a previous post that mentioned working from home. My response is this:

What is your passion?

I would say that there are several "passions" in my life:

• Homeschooling. I feel very passionately that I am the best teacher for my children and that I should be free to raise my children as I see fit - with my morals and values.
• Writing. I love to write. I love to put my thoughts "out there" and see how others respond and react. I love to generate discussion. The Internet has brought out so many good authors and provided an outlet for their talents! (Hopefully, I am one of them! LOL)
• Debate. I LOVE a good debate. I love switching sides and debating the opposite of what I believe in, just to play the Devil's Advocate from time to time.
• Public speaking. I love getting up in front of groups and yapping. I have spoken to groups about my testimony (former Wiccan and occultist, now Christian), about how to spot signs of witchcraft/occult involvement in teens, about domestic abuse (from past experience) and other topics, but those are the ones I speak about most.

I read recently that when the artist Renoir was crippled with arthritis, he strapped a brush to his arm and continued to paint. THAT is passion!

Find something you love doing (or a product you love selling and telling people about) and start from there! Find a hobby or find a company you can love working with!

Comments or suggestions? Comment here and tell about what you do! Why do you do it?

Got a question? Post that, too!

Snow days

Here in the beautiful coastal city of Charleston, SC, snow is something we watch on The Weather Channel, not something we drive in or see outside of the window.

Actually, we do get snow - about once every 8 years. I have 2 kids that have never seen the white stuff. One has seen a dusting. The other saw tons of snow - in PA.

So last night the weatherman said we "might" have snow today. "Might," in this case, meant "not bloody likely, but there is always a miniscule chance we could see a flake or two." That was all it took for my kiddos.

KIDS: "Can we miss school if it snows? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease? Pretty please? Pretty pretty please?"

ME: "Sure! No problem! In fact, if it snows, I'll dance naked on the lawn!"

Okay, I didn't tell them the last part, but I thought it really loud.

Anyway, today the darling kiddos got up, ran to the window and saw.........!!!!!!!!!

Rain. Lots and lots of rain. Sad, sad kiddos..... :(

For those of you who live where it snows all of the time, homeschooling is great. Curl up on the sofa and enjoy some hot chocolate while other people try to drive in that slippery white stuff.

For those who only get the occassional snowfall, homeschooling is great, too. Want to take a day off to frolic in the snow? Sure! Go ahead! Have a blast! Want to have school anyway? Sure! Go ahead! Go for it! Want to frolic in the morning and study in the afternoon? Sure! Go ahead! Do it!

It's all about having control over your own schedule instead of answering to someone else. :o)