Homeschool? Me? ... A little late to the February Blog Party

 

Due to unexpected surgery, I missed the February deadline but I wanted to post on this topic anyway.

February's Topic: Share how you first decided to homeschool. How did you decide on a curriculum?

Looking back, I'm convinced that God was planting seeds about homeschooling as far back as highschool, when I made a friend who had been homeschooled until she started 9th grade.  That was in the eighties, so it was very uncommon.  Again, in college, I had a roommate who had been homeschooled and still had siblings at home that were being homeschooled. Seeing their lifestyle gave me that initial exposure to what homeschooling was like and I took a mental note.  

Fast forward to 2001 and it was time for my first child to enter Kindergarten.  I was still working part-time in the medical field but dreaded the thought of not being part of my son's education on a daily basis. After All, I'd been 'teaching' him since day one.  Why is it that just because they hi age 5, suddenly a mom is not longer qualified to teach her child?   I was still exploring the homeschool option but I was pregnant with my second child and lacked confidence so I sent my son to a private school for Kindergarten.

During that year, the Holy Spirit was extremely active in convincing me that I was called to educate my children from home.  From the people he put in my path, including complete strangers, to the literature I was reading and the friends my son was making at school, it may as well have been a neon flashing sign telling me to GO FOR IT!   The final incident that just blew my mind was when I walked into a doctor's office for my first appointment.  The sweet lady behind the counter was actually married the the doctor I was about to see and she struck up a conversation with me.  Turns out she had always homeschooled her four children.  Her daughter was my son's age and her oldest child was in college! Why in the world would the topic of homeschooling come up at the Chiropractor's office?  I have to snicker to myself at how often I kept praying for 'a sign' and that day it was like a knock in the head, "Hello, McFly" !
Shortly after I said, "Yes"  to the call.  I found several new friends at church who had started a small co-op and were encouraging me to join.  These friends are still a part of my life today and I'm certain will be lifelong friends.  

My curriculum choice came about in a similar way.  As I was researching options, Sonlight kept popping up.  Then I met someone who encouraged me to contact Sheila DelCharco, because she had already been using Sonlight for a few years.  Little did I know that my initial phone call about curriculum would also turn into a special friendship!  

We learned how to can tomatoes one year with our Italian Connection.

Raising butterflies with friends.

I didn't know how much I loved literature until I began learning with Sonlight alongside my children. When you are passionate about something, your children pick up on that.  It is critical to make learning joyful and enjoying great literature together is and was a great joy to me.   I've added many other things through the years but my style of learning and teaching is greatly influenced by what I learned in the first 5-8 years with Sonlight.  My oldest son will graduate next year and his siblings (5th and 7th grade) have never attended any "school".  We are in our 11th year and I can't imagine it any other way.

This photo was actually chosen to be
in a Sonlight Catalog.

Today, we are using many of our early Sonlight items with my other children and we include co-op classes, virtual classes, Dual Enrollment classes and other opportunities that come along based on our needs each year.  

I had a great time looking back at some of the photos from past years. Hard to only choose a few.

Making Goop!

Love heading to Chick-Fil-A for 'school' breakfast.  Especially nice when
weather was bad because the children could use the playground for 'recess'.
 I could work with my oldest son, while the two youngest played.