Thoughts from a homeschooling mom

Well, we've been homeschooling for almost 2 months now. How's it going? If you've read previous entries you've known that we've had our share of challenges as we've started out on our homeschool journey. While we still get the occasional resistance I have to say that things are going really pretty well right now.

Alyssa has fallen into a routine and she knows what we always do when we start school time. She seems to be doing better about trying out and enjoying the crafts, experiments, books & so forth that we use to explore whatever unit we are talking about. We've fallen in a routine and for her, it's what she's needed. Like I said, occasionally I have to encourage her and she is still struggling with telling me back a story after we read it but we're working on it.

Overall, I think we really enjoy homeschooling. Alyssa does ask about going to school like many of her friends & her cousins and wanting to try it out someday. She really enjoys when we go to co-op but that's only twice a month. I think I shocked and made her day when I looked back at her in the car yesterday and said, "Alyssa, I want you to go to school someday, I hope that you do - just not right now." She had this huge grin on her face & she said something like, well, maybe after 5th grade I can go to school.

I told her the truth. Right now, we want to keep her home with us longer. I want to be her teacher, and we want to teach her more than math & reading but about character, having her siblings be her good friends & playmates (as well as other children) and teach her a solid foundation about what we believe about God, encouraging her to develop & grow in her relationship with Jesus. We don't want to exactly protect her from the bad parts of the world but prepare her to be able to do what is right and to know and be able to stand up for what she believes in before being confronted by it. Yes, we can do those things while she also goes to school elsewhere, but this is how we've chosen to do it - and honestly, I love it.

We take this one year at a time, both in the curriculum we choose & in where she goes to school. As long as Gregg works 2nd shift, the choice seems pretty clear cut for us (having Alyssa only see Gregg on the weekends isn't an option). Right now, it's at home and we will continue to pray about it and follow God's lead. And she was accepting of that. Matt put in his two cents and said that when Alyssa went to school, he would stay home and do school with mom. :-)

Here are some of my 2 month-in ponderings about homeschooling:
-Is it okay to teach school wearing your pajamas & looking like the bride of frankenstein because your hair is all over the place (I seem to do that several days a week)?
-I am so glad Gregg is here during the day - we would definitely be doing this differently and be on a different schedule if it weren't for him taking care of Josh and sometimes Matt while we do school! (I think God knew I needed him around during these first & early years to keep my sanity!!!)
-How much chocolate is too much chocolate to eat in one day (not sure what that has to do with homeschooling, but I'm definitely learning that this fall!)
-If you leave water on the table while homeschooling, it will be spilled on your project!
-My kids regularly tell me that it's a "gibbous moon" out today! Kinda fun to learn along with the kids about stuff I'm not sure I ever learned in school.
-Sometimes I do feel like I'm with my kids ALL of the time! (fortunately I am getting out more and am pondering joining BSF in November for a morning out & a way to grow with God...)
-Am I teaching everything Alyssa needs to know for kindergarten?? (every homeschooler's thoughts I think)
-We are really enjoying reading together - we've come across just some fun books this fall
-What is the balance of being the encouraging mom & being the teacher that has to ocassionally correct her? I have really discovered how both Alyssa & I are such perfectionists and I'm having to be careful not to discourage her in the process of correcting & teaching her. For a while when we were working on handwriting, I would correct her & she would start saying things like "I'm no good, I can't do it..." and I realized that she was being hard on herself, wanting to be perfect. I really backed off because honestly, she writes great for her age - I just was showing her how to do it "perfectly." :-) It's a balance I'm still working on!