This Is Really Happening

Tomorrow, I am going to a Homeschool Convention. I have mentioned before on this blog that I plan to homeschool, but I can hardly believe that our first day of school is in just a couple of months.

I am totally freaked out.

I have heard the Convention is overwhelming, but I am truly hoping to gain a lot of wisdom this weekend.

Our decision to homeschool our children was actually really easy. Ever since Caleb entered this world, I've felt called to educate him at home. I honestly don't know how long I will homeschool each child (maybe one year; maybe all their school years....only God knows!), but I am confident this is the way we're supposed to start.

There are many reasons (besides feeling called) we've decided to homeschool...in no particular order...
- I absolutely love being with my kids. I am genetically wired to be a stay at home mom. It's just the way God made me, but I've never viewed it as a sacrifice. I had no plan B. From the time I was a little girl, all I've ever wanted to be is a mom. I do not believe this is every woman's personality/calling, but it is mine. I love watching most every moment of my kids' lives.

- I love the freedom. I honestly am not sure I could get 3 dressed kids to school each morning. I can barely get out of bed before 8 am.
We also travel quite a bit (mostly to visit grandparents). I love that I can school my kids at the beach, at their Grandma's, or on an airplane.

- Brett works a lot of nights. If my kids were in typical school, they would sometimes go days without seeing him. His schedule is more flexible in the mornings, so he can see them then.

- I want to know what my children are learning and be an active part of that.

There are other reasons I want to educate my kids, but that is the short list!

There is one big problem with my desire though.....

I was never homeschooled!! I went to public school my entire life, and that is all I know (I actually had a very positive public school experience, so the decision to homeschool is not because I am against public school.)

I literally have no idea what a typical day looks like. Or really even how to teach. Caleb has workbooks he works through (because he asks to, I don't make him)....that has gone pretty well, so I am assuming it will be a natural process.

I am excited for the Convention because I will learn so much. I am sure I will be overwhelmed, but I also will be so inspired. I hope to come away with practical ideas...like what to do with a 2 year old while I am teaching Caleb! Chloe will probably participate a lot, but Luke will be at a very needy stage!

When I think of going to this convention, I just laugh. My teenage self would've never guessed this is what I'd be doing a decade later!

I am open to any questions you may have about homeschooling. I don't have many answers, but I am open!

To those veteran homeschoolers (ahem, Kirstin), I would love any words of wisdom you have for a newbie like me!!



Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading! I would love to hear from you!

Popular posts from this blog

The Book I May or May Not Write

I have the nicest friends in the world.  When I write a short, quippy thing my kid said on Facebook, my very nicest friends will say, "I can't wait for you to write a book." I sort of feel like people are American Idoling me....you know, encouraging me to do something I'm passionate about even though I am not really good at it---never thinking I would actually have the audacity to pursue it---but then they're in too deep with the lie....but even so, those comments make me feel good.  (Which is kind of weird, possibly narcissistic, because it's actually my kids being entertaining, and not my words.  Yet I press on.) I wrote for 31 days straight in October, and I discovered maybe I am not so good at writing more than 2 sentences at a time.  So I decided maybe writing a book wasn't in my future. But then I spent a lot of time thinking during November and realized that, even if no one reads what I write, I think it would be really fun to put into words w...
Read more

Another Child One Day

Going back through my posts, I realized I had a few blogs I wrote but never published. One is when I was wavering between adopting or birthing our fourth child. One thing is for sure: our family is not complete. I cannot explain that other than I just know. For awhile there, I was strongly contemplating adopting, but for now, I am leaning more towards birthing the last child. In fact, I am most certain, God willing, that is what our plans are. We are trying to decide when to try to have a baby. And by "try", I mean get pregnant. I have many weaknesses, but fertility is not one of them. In case you can't tell. Our kids are fairly close, so one part of me wants to get pregnant in about 9-10 months....and be done. Forever!! But another part of me wonders if I should take a longer break. See, I have this really weird feeling (that is probably not going to happen) that I will have twins. For one, Brett has always wanted five kids, and I only want four. Things jus...
Read more

Christmas Traditions

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Along with pretty much everyone else, this is my most favorite holiday. As my children age, it just keeps getting better and better!! Establishing traditions is one of my goals during the holiday season. I am a sentimental person, and I am hopeful my kids will grow up with fond memories of their childhood Christmases. Most, if not all, of my traditions are not original. I glean ideas from others and make it my own. The Happy Home Fairy is a wonderful resource for making your holiday magical. The Williams Family traditions: - We stay home for Christmas. We travel during the holiday break, but for Christmas Eve and Day, we are home. To be honest, this was hard to do because I know family members on both sides want to see our kids, but I wanted to do what was best for our family. We welcome anyone who wants to come visit on Christmas, so we are great to have others in our home. And there are many reasons we choose to stay home. ...
Read more