A Poem for Co-Op

There once was a family
who began to homeschool...
they really enjoyed it
and thought it was cool.

Having more time to travel
and field trips with friends,
this family was happy...
Homeschool a Godsend!

Last fall, it got better....
they joined a co-op!
The best of both worlds
and their fun never stops.

Two Wednesdays a month,
they learn many things.
"We really love co-op!"
this mom always sings.

The mom teaches "littles",
 her fun never ends!
"See you later!" her son says,
as he learns with his friends.

PE, Woodwork, Sewing
Music, Cooking and Speech.
Her son goes to his classes,
as his mom goes to teach.

She would go one way
and he'd go another.
The happy kid loved it,
and so did his mother.

Like a really cool school,
but so much more.
Learning, fun and fellowship
many ways to explore.

Next fall, we'll be back...
for another great year!
"Co-op is so awesome!"
is our family's new cheer!

My Twelve Lessons for These Twelve Months

Today marks the year anniversary of our beginning life as a homeschool family!  Whoa....what a year it has been! One year ago, we "took the red pill", stepped out of our ordinary lives and jumped into the rabbit hole of homeschooling. It has been a year of hard work, growth, adjustments and many changes. Would we do it again? In a New York minute!

Our son has learned a wealth of information as a homeschool kid. My husband and I have seen tremendous growth and progress in our kid. He is happier, he is steadily gaining his confidence back and he likes learning again. He is pursuing his interests and he is working at grade level. I could go on and on (as I usually do)...

Instead, I 'd like to share 12 things that I've learned in the past 12 months of our first, homeschool year. So here we go...

1. Homeschooling has reminded me that I still love to learn. I love learning and I never want to stop learning something new every day of my life.
2. Life is meant to be lived out of your comfort zone. I never thought I could teach math (I can!), move our family twice in one year (We are!) or begin the adoption process for our second child and plan on becoming parents again almost 13 years since our bringing home our son (Doing that now!). My comfort zone was safe, but it wasn't that much fun. Go figure.
3. I have made the BEST friends in the world through homeschooling! Our son has an amazing group of homeschool friends, but guess what? SO.DO.I. I have this stellar group of homeschool mamas that have been so supportive and incredible during this past year. I love them so much and I am so thankful to be friends with them all!
4. I watched our son fly a plane in January and I didn't vomit or pass out from worry! My husband and I just smiled, waved and trusted him to the Lord. Of course, we prayed for him, but then we went out to lunch while he co-piloted a plane to Massachusetts. (Have I mentioned lately how much we love him being in Civil Air Patrol?) Turns out, getting out of my zone GOT MY KID OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE. He flew a plane during his first year of homeschool. It's surreal just typing that sentence.
5. I love the outdoors...just not lately, as this winter has been pretty heinous! Homeschooling gives us the flexibility to go outside more often- as a family, with friends and just in general.
6. I love to travel. Always have, always will. Last year, we took six trips as a homeschool family. Guess what's happening again this year? Maycation: The Sequel!
7. I've been pleasantly surprised by how many friends and family members have supported us in our decision to homeschool. Don't get me wrong, I've always known that we have supportive friends and family. However, our decision to homeschool just reinforced the knowledge that we have a very loving and supportive family. And friends.
8. I can teach math and its not torturous for our son! See # 2, I just like saying that I can actually teach math and I'm pretty good at it.
9. My husband is the BEST computer science/computer programming/ technology/ automotive/bass teacher in the world! He's also a pretty good "principal", too.
10. We have grown exponentially in our faith and how we worship as a family. God is good all the time and all the time God is good! This year had its share of challenges (i.e. medical challenges, transitioning to homeschooling), but we learned that the more we let go of our lives, the better we can realize that God is always in control and He can show us that His plans are FAR BETTER than any plans we could imagine!
11. Our yellow lab is very spoiled. I've always known this fact. He just loves having us home more often. As a result of our being home a little more, we get to see his "inner diva" on a regular basis.
12. I.LOVE.HOMESCHOOLING.

If you're considering homeschooling, I just have one question for you....why haven't you started already?

  #nowisthetimetohomeschool

Life after "the red pill"

Well, it's been exactly eleven months since we started our adventure as a homeschool family! This time has really flown by and our family has grown in so many ways. Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually...every way imaginable and in every way for the better. My journey as a homeschool mom hasn't been an easy one, but I know that growth comes from time, commitment, hard work and taking risks. Does our family still love homeschooling as much as we did eleven months ago??  Nah! We love it more!!

It's also been eleven months since I began blogging as a homeschool mom. In my first post, I likened our journey of starting homeschool to that of Neo taking the red pill in the movie "The Matrix". He goes from an ordinary guy in a safe world that he has always known, to living an extraordinary life in a world that was broken beyond his wildest dreams. He left his mundane routine and safety net to find wisdom and courage. When he took the red pill, he learned the truth and it broke free from his comfort zone.

Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic , but I still think our homeschool journey is similar to Neo's journey. Most families don't realize there is more than one environment for a child to learn. They think the world of classroom learning is the only option. So many parents still think that they're not the ones in charge of their child's education. Even if you consider yourself to be a "proactive parent" in your child's school, you can still find yourself running out of options as with the seriously-changing, school environment. If you don't think schools are changing in big ways, I've got news for you- they are! Whatever the reason or reasons...if your children are unhappy in school, that should be enough to take a risk on making a positive change in where and how they learn. Neo didn't realize how monotonous and miserable his life was until he stepped away from it. That's usually how it works in life, isn't it?

Just like Neo, we don't have to be limited to what is presented to us in our environment or by our community. If we're willing to make a big change, we can teach our children to learn "outside the box". Maybe I sound like a Pollyanna, but shouldn't learning be more fun? We can foster their interests, spark their curiosity and plant the seeds of their growth. As homeschool parents, we can build on our children's strengths and give attention to their needs in their own time. There are SO many homeschool curricula, programs, resources, support groups and tools to help parents give a well-rounded education for their kids. Even if you're just remotely considering it, the time has never been better...now is the time to homeschool!

I love seeing our son learn and being a part of his learning journey. He lights up when he learns about the subjects that interest him (history, geography, the military, science, computers, etc.) and he doesn't explode during the subjects that used to be a struggle. Don't get me wrong...math is not always a picnic, but it sure is better than it used to be. He is the coolest son in the world and I'm so blessed to be his mom and to be his teacher!

More and more parents don't like what's going on in their children's schools. They're willing to make the sacrifices and changes to better the way their children will learn. Homeschooling is on the rise. There are approximately 2.2 million homeschooled children in the United States ( "Research Facts on Homeschooling" by Brian Ray, Ph.D., NHERI, January 6, 2015).

Now that is a lot of red pills...

My New Year Formula.... If Goals=Yes, then Expectations=No

Expectation: (noun) a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen; a feeling or belief about how successful, good, etc., someone or something will be. (Merriam-Webster Online).

When you become a parent, you quickly learn that the world around you puts expectations on your child. Books tell you "what to expect"- when your child will start eating solid foods, when your child should talk or even when to expect your child to use the potty (ha)!

Of course, expectations only increase as your child gets older. Social expectations, developmental expectations and educational expectations become the norm for the parent. If any of you ever had the displeasure of parent-teacher conferences that were, um, disappointing....you know what I'm talking about!

"He should be able to sit still in circle time."
"She needs to learn how to write her name."
"He needs to know how to write his homework assignment on his own."
"She shouldn't have tantrums at her age."

Yada, yada, yada. Raise your hand if you've ever had a teacher (or anyone else) share their expectations with you. Realistic or not, expectations put a lot of pressure on your kid. Then reality hits....the expectation is not met, or its met later than you planned. See, that's the thing about expectations...you're usually disappointed when they're not met "on time"!

I learned a loooong time ago that kids work on their own time schedules. Expectations should only  be guidelines, not the rule. Expectations can be stressful, especially when a child is aware that he or she isn't "doing" the same thing as their peers. For the past few years, I am sorry to say, that we paid too much attention to the expectations that were placed on our son. The sadder part was when he exceeded expectations in other areas of his life, we didn't celebrate them as much as we could have...since we were so worried about the other things.

As a homeschool mom, I've learned its SO much better to set goals for your child instead of expectations. You see, your child can set his or her own deadline for a goal. If he or she doesn't meet the deadline, that's OK! It can be tweaked. You can adjust the deadline of a goal, but you don't have to give up! Expectation, by its very nature, ties its success to an outside standard or belief in when the deadline should be met. With an expectation, the success lies in the timeline. However, a goal is more personal and its success is measure more in the journey.

That is my goal for 2015....to learn more about the journey of learning and less about when we "should arrive" at its destination.

"It's The Most Wonderful Time..."

Ah, December!  I am probably the ONLY member of my family that loves the months that end in "ber" (September, October....you get the idea).  My husband and son are "summer boys". They both share the same birthday in July, their love of warm weather and anything related to summer. They get their party on when the sun is hot.

Me? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, I like summer. However, it's not "my favorite"! (Buddy the Elf, anyone?) Fall  months + the month of December = Happy Me. I lived in the Hudson Valley until I was eleven years old and I recall those "ber" months always putting on a good show! Gorgeous foliage, apples, cool weather made me love the fall! Over two years ago, we moved back to the Hudson Valley and it's still glorious.  Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas.....December wraps up my favorite time of year.

I remember last December, however, being particularly stressful.  We were in the thralls of a most heinous school year with the primary focus of trying to get used to those "new standards". You know, "CC" (The Standard That Must Not Be Named). Modules. Units. Spending a day or two on a lesson and then quickly moving right along. Three Hours of Homework. Yikes! I still shudder when I think about how miserable my son was...and ultimately, how miserable we all were! Last December, we were pretty burnt out.

This December is a whole new story. We're actually enjoying this Christmas Season with our friends and family. We can still be a little stressed, but not to the point that it is dominating our lives. We're still busy and working very hard, but we're working at a pace that's good for our son.We're finishing up our second quarter and taking a nice Christmas Break. He actually likes the math chapters we're doing right now! He is also finishing up a fun-filled unit on Ancient Rome and he is knee-deep in gladiators, battles and Pompeii. He has also discovered some amazing websites that are introducing him to computer graphics and design. Finally, we've had a blast in our co-op group!  During the past couple of months in co-op, he has been taking woodwork, music, gym, cooking and sewing classes (and making new friends in the co-op).  I've been having fun co-teaching art and music for "the littles". Our son has described this past fall, with regards to homeschool and co-op, as busy and interesting.  The only words that I remember him using to describe last fall were explicative words. Ouch.

Thanks to God, new doors have been opened for us this year! We're living in a bigger, brighter apartment. We're now in the "waiting phase" of adopting our second child. We've been able to travel more often to see family and friends. Finally, we've regained a whole new appreciation for learning as a homeschool family. We're a family that loves to learn together....because learning never stops! ("Mom! Would you stop saying that already???")

Last, but certainly not least, we're a family that's grown in our faith. We can savor December We know that our God is a God of miracles! Christmas is a season of miracles and we've had our share of them. Our family is blessed beyond measure. I can't say that enough.  We are so thankful to be homeschoolers and to live the lives we have...even when things are really tough. This Christmas, we know that the best gift we could ever have is God's love, which came to us through His Son. We are truly able to focus on that miracle, which is the reason for this wondrous season.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

Christmas Blessings to you!

Worst Case Scenario

Worry. I used to be an expert on making mountains out of molehills. What if the car breaks down? Could this headache be meningitis? Is that a funnel cloud on the horizon?  I had a big problem in worrying about the "what ifs" in life. What if the worst case scenario would happen?

Turns out, this year was a year of worst case scenarios. Things like-

• Having to pull your kid out of school mid-year 
• Finding out that your kid has another chronic illness
• Four ER trips for above mentioned kid
• Breaking a foot
• One ER trip for above mentioned mom
• A yellow lab slipping a disc in his spine THE NIGHT BEFORE the first homestudy visit
• One ER trip for the poor, above mentioned dog
• Postponing travel plans for a big, family trip
• And more.. 

Oy. You get the idea. "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" was a motto of my younger days. I thought that I could better control the situation by preparing myself. Psyching myself and eventually praying for the situation to never happen.

I.HAD.IT.ALL.WRONG.

You can't prepare yourself for the worst case scenario. At least, not mentally, physically or emotionally. You can, however, prepare yourself spiritually.

This year, I've learned that faith is the only way you will make it through the worst case scenario. I've also learned that trials prepare you and help you grow...to be blessed. Today, our pastor gave an amazing teaching from the Book of James about how trials are tools to build our faith and bring us closer to God. Trials are tests. We generally don't like tests. I never did and our son especially doesn't like tests (and yes, you still have tests in homeschool!).

Without the "worst case scenarios" of this year, we also wouldn't have had the best blessings of our lives. The opportunity to homeschool. The opportunity to spend extra time with family members around the country. Moving into an apartment that was a better fit for our family. Learning that we were finally ready to build our family again and taking the steps to adopt a second child. None of these blessings would have happened without the trials of this year.

If we change our mindset, and our "heartset", we can see that the worst case scenario is like a midterm or final exam. A test that will get us ready for the next step or blessing in our lives.

There's a beautiful song called " Blessings" by Laura Story. If you've never heard it, go listen to it! Worst case scenarios. Trials. Tribulations. Tests.

She sums it up so perfectly-

"'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
  What if your healing comes through tears?
  What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
  What if the trials in this life are Your mercies in disguise?"

I get it now.

Teachers' Lounge

I always thought the name "Teachers' Lounge" was a misnomer. "Teachers' Lounge" implies that teachers sit around, eat, drink & shoot the breeze....when they're probably trying to come up for air and just make it through the rest of their day (teaching) and night (planning / grading assignments). Teachers' Lounge??  Hardly! Maybe "Teachers' Bunker" or "Faculty Decompression Chamber"!

I still have a lot of respect for teachers, especially in today's society. In addition to teaching their students, they have a lot of other concerns to keep in mind. School and classroom safety, managing unruly behaviors, keeping up with standardized testing, budget cuts...you get the idea. Even though I'm a homeschool mom, my appreciation and gratitude still goes out to teachers.

Homeschool moms (and dads) juggle being teachers for a good part of the day on top of  their other household duties. 24/7. Math, reading, spelling AND vacuuming, dinner and laundry. (Dang! I forgot to take our laundry out of the dryer again!). No break. You're the teacher, cafeteria cook, janitor, nurse, librarian and principal....all rolled up into one person.

So, when do you plan it all? When do you take a breather? You do take breathers, don't you? As for me, "planning time" or "me time" doesn't make it high on my priority list.

I did something today that I don't like to do....I woke up early (Hey! I'm a homeschool mom of an adolescent boy, remember?). God Bless my wonderful husband for waking up so early every day to support our family! My commute from the bedroom to the living room is a lot shorter. I woke up early to help my husband out with something before he left for work and I actually stayed awake. I had about 2 hours of time for myself! I ate breakfast sitting down. I had extra time to read my Bible in peace and quiet. I got caught up on some emails. I lesson planned for a couple of extra weeks and did some prep work for new units. In other words, I didn't cram hours of work into a few minutes.

Maybe this "Teachers Lounge" concept is a little unrealistic for homeschoolers. However, I do hope the idea of "Teacher Time" or "Mom Time" will start to be a regular occurrence in my Google Calendar and in my overloaded Homeschool Planner.

Now, if you'll excuse me...its 10:15 pm and I still need to unload my dryer!

"Mom! Look on the bright side..."

Oy! It has been a rough, couple of weeks! About three weeks ago, our son was started to develop a partial blockage related to his GI condition.  It was causing him some pain and frustration. A couple of x-rays, doctor visits and an ER trip later, we got a handle on things and it cleared up. It was God's timing, as it cleared up the day before we took a long weekend to FL to visit my husband's parents.Whew! He was fine for our trip. We had a nice time visiting my in-laws and spending some quality time with them. We even snuck a couple of beach trips and I was able to spend an afternoon with my best friend since junior high.

The day after we came back from Florida, our son started developing an asthma flare. Our boy has been fighting chronic asthma since he was a baby and illness/allergies are his biggest triggers. So, where did he pick up this recent cough? Allergies? Waiting room at the GI doctor? Picking up a cold from the ER visit? A cold from flying on the airplane? Who knows where the cough and congestion came from? This cough was here to stay!

Our timeline for the past couple of weeks went something like this: bad cough, doctor call, begin OTC cold and allergy medicines, activate asthma action plan, more coughing, another doctor call, switch from inhalers to nebulizers, cough progresses, another doctor call, oral steroids, more coughing, another doctor call (BTW- we have an AWESOME pulmonologist who was able to help us manage this entire asthma flare without our son needing to come in for a visit), antibiotics, another doctor call. We also prayed without ceasing, threw in daily, pulse ox finger checks for good measure. Pushed liquids. Slept with one eye open in case he needed a nebulizer treatment at 12 am...and 4 am...and so on...

I think our fighter is finally getting over the worst of this asthma flare and it only took two whole weeks. Needless to say, it put a big damper on extra-curricular activities and outings. Thankfully as a homeschool family, we schooled when he was up for it and rested when he wasn't up for school. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the flexibility of our homeschool schedule?!?!!!

A couple of years ago, our son had a pretty bad asthma flare similar to this one. At the time, he was in regular school and he missed about two weeks of school. I sometimes forget how bad these asthma flare ups get until another one sneaks up on our boy.

Today, as I was giving my sweet kid his umpteenth nebulizer treatment, I told him "I'm sorry, honey, that I have to give you another breathing treatment! I know you're slowly getting better, but these are a drag, aren't they?". His reply? "Mom! Look on the bright side, I didn't have to go to the hospital or miss any school since we schooled in the summer!".

Those were his words. It has been a loooong time since he has said "Look on the bright side!". He used to be a "look on the bright side" kind of kid since he was a little guy. Then he got older and that stopped, for a long time. No more bright side.

This must mean that our wonderful son...the fighter... sees the bright side again! This is especially tough when you're an almost-teenage boy going through some health issues. He sees the bright side again, despite everything our poor kid has been through during these past few weeks. Sometimes, the most important things we can learn are the things we used to know from a long time ago.

THANK YOU, GOD!!!!!!

"Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise."
- Jeremiah 17:14

Time to breathe!

Whew! Its been a whirlwind during these past, several weeks.

Packing, schooling, change of address emails/phone calls/paperwork, more packing, moving, unpacking, more schooling, a little bit of decorating, more unpacking, even more schooling and getting ready for our homestudy classes. Yowza! We've been working hard.

I've barely had time to catch my breath...until now. So, while we're breathing and decompressing (and still unpacking), I thought I'd share a few things that have made me say "Ahh!" during these recent days:

• The two skylights and plentiful, natural light in our new apartment.
• The QUIET in our new apartment!
• Spending time with our homeschool friends.
• Knowing that our son LOVES his new, twice-a-month, co-op group and his once-a-month, outdoor wilderness classes.
• Knowing that our son also loves being in Civil Air Patrol! What??? You're the parent of a 12-18 year old son or daughter who may be interested in the Air Force & you've NEVER heard of Civil Air Patrol?????  www.gocivilairpatrol.com
• A few hours of downtime at Panera (free Wi-Fi!) + my Basic Airman Cadet at his weekly Civil Air Patrol meeting =  dinner treat for this mama and a new, blog post! 
• Racking up extra homeschool hours during the summer...another vacation to Florida at the end of this month (that also deserves a woo-hoo!).
• Knowing that an amazing, little girl will someday (hopefully soon) come home & enjoy the new room and apartment that we're getting ready for her! 

These little things (and even bigger things) may not seem like a big deal to you... but to me, they're blissful moments and bring me peace.

A Commentary for a "Back to School World"

"It's that time of year!" Television, radio, internet, magazines, newspapers, stores, signs everywhere are announcing it's Back to School Time!

Wow! I didn't realize how much our society revolves around the traditional school year until we stepped away from regular school. On every channel, I see "Back to School Sale" commercials for clothes, shoes, electronics and school supplies.. At the grocery store, I glance at magazines that share their "School Night Dinner Recipes" and "Tips for Getting Your Kids Ready for School". I've even seen the pictures and video clips of parents who are dancing, singing and acting like they won the lottery because they're kids are finally going back to school! Woo-hoo!! Everyone is so happy!!!

As happy as parents are that their kids are finally going back to school, I wonder if they've forgotten the frustrations, problems and even heartaches from the months of the previous school year. Common Core (There! I said it!). Increasing hours of homework. Cookie cutter learning. Stress from over-testing. Teachers who are overwhelmed with overcrowded classrooms. Budget cuts in the arts. Bullying. Cyberbullying. Promiscuity. School Violence. 

Let's talk about bullying for a moment. I just read an article,"Safety Net" by Lambeth Hochwald, in the September issue of Family Circle. In her article, Ms. Hochwald shared that "up to one in three kids report being victimized at school" and "49% of students between grades 4 and 12 say they've been targeted at least once in the past month". 

Being the new kid in elementary, middle and high school (we moved around a lot), I was often bullied. Our son was bullied in school, as were some of his friends. Statistics don't lie, bullying has become more rampant than ever. Not only is bullying on the rise, but it's getting worst in ways we never could have never imagined! Cyberbullying that is 24/7. Cruel videos of kids who are being victimized floating around the Internet. Apps and websites that are virtual playgrounds for kids to bully each other in anonymity. More news of kids retaliating with unspeakable violence. Did we ever think that bullying could be taken to these new, scary levels?

In August and September, we try not to think about these things. Parents are optimistic and hopeful for a good year...but aren't we just sweeping these problems under the rug? Trying to focus on the happy, back to school season until these many issues start rearing their ugly heads. We'll keep sweeping until the lump under the rug gets bigger and bigger...and then we'll have to deal with it. Year after year. It just gets harder and harder. As a parent, you don't know what to do. 

In previous posts, I've mentioned that there are a lot of freedoms that go along with being a homeschool family. Freedom from scheduling vacations around the school year. Freedom in having your days be less stressful. Freedom in having your child's learning be a hands-on experience. Freedom in knowing your child is in a safe, learning environment. Freedom in teaching your child to learn in the way that is best suited for him or her.  What I know, as a homeschool parent, is there is a freedom in not being of the "Back to School World". Freedom is being blessed to be able to do what is best for your child and family.

I'm through with sweeping things under the rug. Our happiness is year round now....not just the first months of fall or first months of summer.. 

Moving and a reality check.

Packing! Ugh!!! You don't realize how much time, energy and stamina is required to pack all of your family's belongings until you actually pack up and move somewhere. As I've shared in my last post, we're beginning our homestudy to adopt a little girl from foster care. This means, not only do we have a boatload of paperwork, meetings and training to complete...but we also have to move out of our current two bedroom apartment to a three bedroom apartment in our development in the beginning of September. For all of you keeping track, we are: packing and moving to a bigger apartment, completing a homestudy through our county, preparing our family in learning about foster-adoption, getting our home ready for a little girl and homeschooling. My poor iPhone is pinging every five minutes with reminders and deadlines!

Right now in our homestudy, my husband and I have to list all of the places we've lived in, for past 26 years, as part of a background clearance check. We also did this 13 years ago for our son's homestudy.  For those of you who haven't moved around that much, this listing every place you've lived may not seem like a daunting task. However, my husband and I moved around a lot as kids / teens. He and I met in college in North Carolina, became engaged, moved to Florida for graduate school and got married....and moved around some more...and more. In the past 26 years, I've lived in 13 different places and not including the apartment we're moving into next month. On paper, this was an eye opener for me. That may not sound like many places, especially to all those wonderful men and women in the military, who move around so much with their families! If you do the math (and I'm a homeschool mom so I try to make everything a teachable moment), the average is moving every two years! That actually hasn't been the case, as we lived in our last home in Pennsylvania for almost nine years.

We moved up to New York more than two years ago for my husband's work and it was one of the best decisions we ever made.  Don't get me wrong, moving is always a challenge! However, when we think of moving, we usually think of it being as something that will eventually bring a positive or good change in our lives, don't we? Whether we move for our education, careers or home life....we tend to equate moving as a hopeful opportunity for growth. Change is a good thing and in just about every situation in our lives, change = growth. In many instances, that change will require us to move somewhere new.

Now, I want you to picture a scared child or teenager who is in foster care. She has been taken away from her birth family (for whatever reason) and she is very traumatized. She has been placed in a foster home and everything is unfamiliar to her. The past grownups in her life have let her down and she is just trying to keep up with all of the changes and decisions that the new grownups are making for her. She may have siblings or relatives that she wants to see, but maybe the new grownups can only let her see them once in a while. Just when she starts to get used to things in this foster home, the new grownups come back and make her move to another one...and another one. Every few years? Try every few months! She is very scared, mad, hurt and frustrated. She is frustrated because the new grown ups keep moving her around. They make her put everything she has into one bag or suitcase and she takes it every time they move her. The new grownups tell her she can't go home, they're trying to find her a new forever home and this is why they keep moving her around so much. The thing about this little girl...is that she won't give up. The children in foster care? They never give up. They are braver than all of us. They all hope someday for a forever home. And they don't give up.

If we never became a homeschool family, we would have never made the realization that we were blessed enough to adopt a child from foster care. We would have just kept living our lives, focused on regular school and our lives built around a regular school schedule. When I think of our moving into a bigger apartment and all of the positive moves that we've made in our lives, I now think of the moves that children in foster care must make every day. Whenever our little girl finally moves home with us, we have a lot of healing that we need to give to her. I always say that we're blessed beyond measure...and we are....

As a homeschool family, the most important lesson we've learned is not from a book, worksheet or curriculum. We've learned this lesson from God. To always have hope and faith in Him and to never give up. Not only are we learning it from the Lord, but somewhere out there, a little girl is also teaching this very lesson to us.

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Long time, no blog!

Happy Summer!  I apologize to the handful of folks who actually read my blog...its been a hectic summer!  We're busy with new adventures, big plans and a lot of good things in store. And my fractured foot last month (blah)!

Here's what we've been up to-

• I fractured my foot at the beginning of June. How did I do this? Rock climbing? Training for a mud run? Nope! I was walking down our stairs and missed a step! D'oh! I had to hobble around town in a big, stinky orthopedic boot for four weeks! On July 3rd, I was given the all-clear and now the boot is stinking up our laundry room.
• During that time,  we took an extended break from schooling. Our son made a bet with me that I couldn't go one day without talking about anything related to homeschool. I lost at the end of that first day. Did he really think I wouldn't tell him about the email I received announcing the huge sale on frog dissection kits?
• We resumed homeschooling at the beginning of this month and began our "year round homeschool schedule" (cue dark, foreboding music).  Its actually going quite well and the transition has been a good one. Our homeschool motto "Learning never stops!" is received with less eye-rolling when I remind our son of the following equation. One hot, boring day + a few hours of homeschool = EXTENDED FALL OR WINTER VACATION (and a couple of extra days off every month). Woo-hoo!
• That being said, I'm letting our son take the lead in what he wants to learn this summer. We're still covering the basics: reading, writing and arithmetic. However, we're letting him study his interests a little more in depth. Things like earth and life science, famous war battles, outdoor survival skills, computer technology....and how to plan a future career as a Minecraft Designer...or Minecraft Player...or The Next Stampylonghead.
• We're spending some awesome quality time with homeschool friends and new friends from church. We've learned there is a HUGE difference between "quantity socialization time" versus "quality friend time". I'm just sayin'!
• I'm getting ready for our son and my husband's birthday on July 27th. Yup...they have the same birthday! I tend to go a little batty this time of year in planning their big day!

Finally.....drum roll, please! Brrrruummmm.....................

We are thrilled to announce that we are beginning the homestudy process to adopt our second child! After consideration, family discussion and prayer, we agree that we are so blessed to be able to start another adoption journey! We're starting our homestudy classes and training (yes, lots of homework for this mom and dad) in September.  We hope to be done with our homestudy in mid-November.  We hope to adopt a little girl sometime next year.

Blessed beyond measure!!!

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

Enjoy the rest of your summer, everyone!  :)

Thanksgiving in June

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1 (NIV)

We have a lot to be thankful for....and we don't want to wait until November to give our thanks. Our family likes to give thanks as much as possible. Although this year was challenging, it was also amazing!

So here is our Top 10 List of why we're SO thankful for homeschooling-

1. We grew closer to God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Through homeschooling, we were able to have our "school days" anchored in Scripture and began to study His Word more in depth. We hope to nurture and continue to grow in this....for our family learned that spirituality is based on a relationship not a religion.
2. We were able to weather the storms together as a family. This academic year came with medical trials for our son. Thanks to homeschooling, he not only survived, he thrived! He didn't miss a beat, homeschooling gave us much flexibility with our schedule and we're so thankful that he is feeling much better!
3. This academic year also came with a lot of academic challenges for our son, but he CONQUERED them! During his "regular school years", our son felt different and behind. We were told that the way he learned was flawed. He worked hard, but the distractions & pace were overwhelming for him. Then came the " new standards" and the frustration exponentially increased. When we started to homeschool, the pace and learning focused entirely on him. He is reading at grade level! Do you know how many teachers said that could never happen?  "Jesus looked at them and said 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Matthew 19:26 NIV.
4. As a result of going at his own pace, he became more interested in learning...because he could finally understand in his own time. Decreased Pressure = Increased Learning.
5. Sleeping in! 'Nuff said! 
6. This year, we traveled more and went on some AWESOME field trips! A few days, homeschool became museum-school, aquarium-school, Everglades - school  and my favorite... beach-school !!!!
7. Technology. Our son learned that he is a natural in programming (Hello, online JAVA classes!), developing apps and much more! 
8. Our AWESOME homeschool friends! They have been such a blessing and we're so thankful for the friendship, fellowship and guidance they have given us this year. 
9. Our son overcame his fear & frustration of word problems! Woo-hoo!!!
10. What lies ahead for next homeschool year? More knowledge, creativity and love...and some pretty big surprises...stay tuned for more! 

Time to land the helicopter!

We're back! We've traveled three times during the month of May...also known as "Maycation" in our home. Two wonderful family visits and one fabulous vacation to Vermont. We had a blast and we're so thankful that we were able to take school with us!

Today, we start to finish our year-end assignments, projects, etc. For the next couple of weeks, we're wrapping things up. I was concerned that our son was going to give me a hard time and push back with "Summeritis". You know, that lovely syndrome when kids "check out for the last month" until the end of the school year. It happens to our son (and millions of other kids) every year, usually around the end of May. Anyway, our son needs to finish his final copy of a story (language arts project) that he has been working on for a few weeks. I'm also trying to foster some independence in his schoolwork. Leaving the room for a while, letting him figure things out and asking me for help only when he absolutely needs it. So, I'm landing my "chopper" as a Helicopter Mom! Today, I asked him to sit at his laptop, with his written notes, and type his final copy of his report. Then I left the room for a while....

Would you believe that was more than an hour ago and he is actually enjoying it?!?!  His typing skills are pretty decent now, thanks to an online typing course. The best thing about his finishing this  story? His creative juices are flowing! Just from the little bit that he has shared with me, his story has action, suspense and it's so funny. I can't wait to read it, because he has become quite the writer! We always knew he loved sharing stories. He has the gift of gab and telling stories. Never in a million years would I have thought that he would love to write stories, too!

This is something that I can nurture as a homeschool mom. His new found-love of writing...OK, typing stories! Giving him the confidence to try new things and do them on his own and develop his own style of writing. So, my helicopter is landing...and the laptop is going into overtime!

The Journey of a Seaheart

This is a drift seed (also known as a sea bean). We found it last week during our family vacation to Boynton Beach, Florida- where we visited my husband's parents. In addition to seeing family, we were blessed enough to spend some AWESOME time at Boynton Beach. My husband and son found this beautiful Seaheart Sea Bean during a walk along the shore. It probably has an amazing story, of course, we turned it into a hands-on, learning experience for our family (Much to our son's dismay, our new motto is "Learning never stops!").

We believe this sea bean is an Entada gigas or a Seaheart Sea Bean. and originates from the Amazon Jungle. The Entada giga vines will curl around trees that extend over the Amazon River. The sea beans, that are inside the pod (on the vine), will fall into the river. The seeds will separate from their pods, and eventually, will make their way the ocean.  The currents of the ocean will take these mahogany-colored beans on long journeys to far-away lands.  The waves of the ocean will also polish the thick, dark skin of the Seaheart. A Seaheart can remain in the ocean for many months, even years until it finds it way to shore.

When I was 10-15 years old, I spent my summers in South Florida.  I often visited the beach and I remember finding these sea beans along the shore.  I loved hearing stories of how sailors thought Seahearts were good luck, because of their thick skin and their ability to withstand long journeys in the ocean. I even remember a story that Christopher Columbus was inspired by a Seaheart to sail west in search of new lands! I shared all of these stories and legends of the Seaheart with my husband and son, who were eager to hear about our new treasure from the beach. Of course....the first thing I thought of, as a new homeschool mom, when they found our Seaheart? What a fantastic Unit Study this will be when we get home!

In many ways, our journey in life is like the journey of a Seaheart. We start out in one land, surrounded by the things we know and encompassed by a protective "pod". Then, we are trusted by God, to take a journey in unknown waters to faraway lands. Just like the Seaheart, we can buoyant and resilient, during our travels through the rough waters of life and we can do this through faith and strength. To someone else walking along the beach, this may look like something ordinary that washed up on the shore.  However, I think its a reminder from God...that this ordinary seed was transformed, by the ocean, to turn into something pretty special. If we continue to trust in Him, the journey will be just as amazing as the destination.....and we will become polished by Him, just like the Seaheart.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

For most of his life, our son was an early riser. 6:00 am was his usual wake call for a long time. During those toddler, preschool and early elementary school years, our son would happily wake up between 6:00 - 6:30 am. He was ready and willing to start the day with spring in his step, it was so stinking cute (but exhausting)!

As he grew older, our son wanted to wake up later. When adolescence began for him, sleeping in later became more enjoyable and needed. Getting out of bed early in the morning became our weekday struggle..."Just five more minutes, Mom!"....ugh!

Needless to say, being able to sleep later has been a huge perk of homeschooling. You know what?  My kid and I?? Not so much morning people!! The fact that we don't have to wake up as early to get to school is outstanding. The fact that we can do our schoolwork in our pajamas and get dressed whenever we need to go out is simply blissful (I never thought that I would ever use those words to describe our mornings)! I'm sure once we get into a regular co-op routine this fall, we'll have some earlier mornings. However, for now, our mornings are heavenly.

Today was a blast from the past. Our son had a follow-up appointment this morning. I scheduled it early, around the time when he used to go to school, so that he and I could still have most of the day to homeschool. In theory, this was a good idea. However, after homeschooling about two months and being used to our new, homeschool schedule, I was wrong. Wake up and smell the coffee!  We both didn't miss the morning rush to get somewhere in a hurry. We didn't miss the scramble of getting out of bed early, hurrying up to finish extra homework from the night before, scarfing down breakfast and rushing to school (only to hurry up and wait in the long, drop-off line). Blah. Today was a very good reminder that the old routine is history. From now on, I'll remember to make those appointments later in the afternoon, when we're done with homeschooling. We like our sleep too much! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and turn off my alarm clock.

Lingering Doubts

"When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted." - Matthew 28:17 NIV

Easter. Resurrection Day. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...who has risen indeed! To me, I associate this awesome time of year as a time of new beginnings, growing faith and exciting things to come.

Our family has made some big changes over the past few years.  Two years ago, my husband took a wonderful job, we sold our home in PA and made the move to NY. We've completely stepped out of our comfort zone in many areas of our lives. In December, we made the decision to find a church that we felt was more Christ-based. Thankfully, our search didn't last too long. We soon found a lovely church in our community that has welcomed us with open arms and invigorated our faith as a family. A couple of months ago, we began our homeschool journey and its been such a blessing.

Yesterday was our first Easter, our first Resurrection Day, at our new church. Our pastor gave an incredible sermon about how doubts can still linger in us, despite the miracles in our lives. His sermon, "But Some Doubted", shared how the disciples still had doubts. We were reminded how their doubts, about Christ having risen and overcoming death, were recorded in each Gospel of the New Testament. Despite the good news and what others had told them, the disciples still had their lingering doubts. 

This moving sermon made me think. Why do we doubt something?  Is it because we want to know every detail of a situation? Do we doubt because we're afraid? Why do we need to see something in order to believe something? Do we doubt change because it goes against what the world tells us is right?

I still have my lingering, occasional doubts about homeschooling. Every once in a while, I have the occasional doubt, when I hear or see something that reinforces what education "should be" or how "traditional" education is the "best option for everyone". Thankfully, I've learned to let the doubt go and remember that my faith will always be stronger than my doubt.

Homeschool field trips make me SMILE!

FDR slept here (Did you know FDR was homeschooled until he was 14 years old?)

A view of the Hudson River Valley from the 2nd Floor of the FDR Home

FDR's Study (and a few of his thousands of books)

Eleanor Roosevelt's typewriter (what an inspiration for a newbie blogger!)

FDR's Desk from the Oval Office

 

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

Yesterday, we took our first "official field trip" as homeschoolers. We went with our homeschool friends to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home, Presidential Library / Museum in Hyde Park, NY. If you're ever in the Hudson Valley, you MUST take your family to visit this wonderful and historic place....and all kids under 15 are free with a paying adult!

 

 In the past, the words field trip made me feel a combination of terror and dread. I was one of those "regular school" parents who went on many field trips, especially having an only child and working part-time. From Kindergarten through 3rd grade of our son's schooling, I was wrangled into at least one or two field trips each year. Of course, the groups I supervised seemed to be the rowdiest, wildest boys of the class (my son included)! There seemed to be very little learning on these field trips, just disciplining the kids and trying to make sure no one became lost or hurt. To top it off, I was the adult who often got stuck riding the bus with the kids...ugh! Migraines, a hoarse voice and sore legs always seemed to accompany past field trips.

 

Yesterday's field trip was nothing like our past trips! Our day was filled with hands-on learning, enjoying the beautiful spring weather and having great time with our friends. Our kids were well-behaved and my friend and I were able to enjoy the day along with them. Even though they were the only kids on the guided tour, they proved themselves to be eager students. The kids were interested in learning about FDR, his legacy and the world during his presidential terms in office. I don't think the other adults minded one bit that four, well-behaved kids joined them during the tour. In fact, I think that the kids added a nice element of energy and enthusiasm to an otherwise quiet group of adults. They reminded me that learning can be fun and if you're interested enough in a subject,...the time flies! We blinked and the next thing you knew, we had been there over four hours! My son even proclaimed- "Mom, I didn't realize it until today, but I really love history!".

 

You know what I didn't realize? I actually love field trips!

 

 

 

 



 



NOT From Concentrate

As an avid foodie, I love seeing the following descriptions on food labels:

• Organic
• 100% Pure
• Fresh
• All-Natural
• Heart-Healthy
• Lower Sodium
• Lower Cholesterol
• Not From Concentrate

I spend extra time reading labels of fresh, frozen or packaged foods. Not only do I look for those listings on labels, but I also try to read all of the nutritional ingredients. Yes, I am that annoying shopper...you know the one who reads labels, asks questions and who has the giant stack of coupons!

Despite my sweet & salty tooth (addiction to chocolate and ice cream), I try to eat healthy and shop healthy for my family. We are so blessed that our son actually enjoys eating fruits, veggies and ranch dressing and things like sushi instead of candy! Oftentimes, I hear people say that it is so much more expensive and time-consuming to eat healthy. I have to agree, but on the flip side of it, the investment in my family's health and well-being is so worth it!

With that said, I am finding that homeschooling is a lot like eating healthy.  If you think about it, many of our healthy-eating labels parallel "labels of learning". Organic and 100% Pure- As a homeschool parent, you know exactly what is going into your child's learning diet. There are no questionable ingredients about what is happening in your child's learning environment- things like bullying, distractions or factors that can take away your child's interest in learning. Fresh and All-Natural- Nothing stale. Fresh ideas and learning to foster creativity, interest and moving forward. Need a new way at looking at fractions? Have a unit study that incorporates things like cooking or art. Need a change of scenery? Have a unit-study field trip!  Heart Healthy, Lower Sodium and Lower Cholesterol- I liken these labels to the stress of learning in a formal environment. Namely, the physical and emotional tolls that the everyday stressors of "regular school" may have on your child's well-being. Think about all the stress that your child endures in school, especially  as he or she gets older. Add to that a child who may learn differently, who may need to approach things a different way or who may not fit into the "traditional model" of a school environment. Years of stress will take a physical and emotional toll on your child.  Doesn't sound very heart-healthy to me! Finally, my "favorite" label...Not From Concentrate- No watered-down curriculum. No time-saving shortcuts in learning. No outside programs or entities stating how many different ways your child should know how to do a single math problem for Pete's Sake!!! Nope. Nothing re-constituted, previously frozen or dehydrated...just the good stuff!

Speaking of good stuff, they say that "when you put good stuff in, you get good stuff out". I'm finding this to be so true. A few days ago, our son was doing some language arts activities from a new workbook that I found to be particularly interesting (and thought he might appreciate a different approach to writing).  Usually "ELA" or Language Arts is not a pleasant thing for our son to do...he never liked writing. However, I found some great activities that sparked his interest. After handing the workbook to me,  he said the words- that every book-loving, blog-writing parent loves to hear- "Mom. I hope it's OK, but I finished more pages and wrote more than you told me to do." Whoa...I thought I was going to cry!

Bon Appetit! Buono Appetito! Here is to good eating!

Grading myself...all F's!

Back in my day (or in the "Olden Times" as our son likes to say), F's were not a good thing on your report card. They basically meant you failed or you didn't have passing knowledge about a certain subject or two. You didn't want to bring F's home from school. 

Today is the last day of our first full month of homeschooling. Wow! I can't believe we've reached this milestone and no one in our home is continuously crying, running away or missing a limb. Not only did we survive...but we actually thrived!

That being said, I thought I should grade myself, the mom/teacher/administrator/cook/nurse/cook  of our homeschooling adventure. Our son is doing great!  He is still adjusting, detoxing from the old stress of "regular school", but he is a champion at homeschooling- and my husband and I are very proud of him.

On the other hand, how am I doing??? I'm giving myself all F's, but not what you may think! Here is my report card:

• Faith-  You have to have a lot of faith as a homeschooling parent. Not only in the traditional sense (and however you may practice your faith), but faith in yourself and your family. We consider ourselves a Christian family, so we're thankful to God and to His Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for all of our blessings and for guiding us through our challenges! There were a few days (and nights) that I was uncertain if this was still the right thing for our family, but my faith got me through those times. The other great thing about this past month?  We were able to incorporate our faith in our homeschooling.  Daily Bible readings and morning prayers were a comforting way to begin our homeschooling days. Homeschooling nurtures our faith...and allows our faith to grow.
• Fortitude-  Homeschooling is NOT the faint of heart or spirit! The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fortitude as "strength of mind that enables, one to meet danger or bear pain or adversity with courage". We joined a HUGE minority of families that chose to homeschool their children, for whatever reasons, and journey into the unknown! When you make the decision to homeschool, you may be judged, questioned and or even teased ("Oh! You're one of them, now?"). You have to continuously defend your decision- whether it be your school district, neighborhood, peers, etc. That's OK. You're an underdog now...and I always root for the underdog!
• Flexibility- You must be flexible in your attitude, time and methods of teaching. I had every intention to use a lot of one curriculum and supplement with a little from another curriculum. However, as we progressed through the month, I learned that I needed to be more flexible (and I thought I was already pretty flexible to begin with). So, I tweaked...and tweaked...and tweaked again. Tweaking = Flexibility. Flexibility = Better Learning.
• Fun- Fun, fun, fun! This is huge! Why do you want to homeschool?  I'm sure you may have many reasons, but hopefully this is a big one! We wanted to remind our son that learning is (and always will be)fun...if you have the right attitude! Learning is an adventure. A journey.  An experience that should be tailored to fit your child. Not the other way around.  It should not be a chore, a job or a "one size fits all" process.

This past month, I've learned that I have faith, fortitude, flexibility and that I can make learning fun.  The good kind of F's.