On a Clear Day You Can See Our Homeschool

Cami and Delilah both missed the cut off for Kindergarten this year. Next year they would both make it, but Delilah would be very young, barely five years old. And she is young inside too. I like to crunch these numbers as if there is a magical formula, or as if I'm actually going to walk them up to the brick school house and then come home for a day alone. Sometimes I try that fantasy on for size. But truth be told, we have homeschooled for fifteen years now. It's not our school. It's our way of life.

Some days I wonder if I am yet qualified to take on the education of a child. And other days I marvel at how much children learn just by being with an adult who will answer their questions. I marvel at how children follow the natural rhythm and flow of a day when allowed to stay in touch with their own internal drive. And I marvel at the depth and height of the perceptions of children when they are not boxed in to a certain grade or certain curriculum. I suppose I will always wonder if it's "enough", but I will never doubt that it is good.

So, what does it really look like? At this age, homeschooling is simply being present in the moment and respecting moments of special learning opportunity when they appear.



On this morning, Cami drew two pictures after breakfast. One picture was of Jesus. She wanted to know what he looked like and I told her we really didn't know for sure, but some artists had tried their best to draw him. She decided she would draw Jesus too. And he looked very much like a hip hop star. Who's to say?

Cami also drew her vision of the universe. In my humble opinion, just the fact that she can understand and think about planets and stars up in the sky and then put that vision on paper is nothing short of amazing. Abstract thinking is a strength for her.

While Cami was drawing, Delilah was watching her. Delilah doesn't care much for drawing yet, unless you count markers drawning designs on her skin. So.......



Delilah ate Jelly Beans! And she learned about sharing.

The rest of the day was punctuated by puzzles and books. Delilah loves the wooden puzzle of the world and Cami enjoys the United States puzzle. Both are challenging for me and I'm surprised at how much they are able to do on their own. They are beginning to understand where they fit in physically in the world. Our state is part of the US which is part of the earth. We talk about China and also Australia because Lauren is headed there.

The afternoon was spent constructing a fort of chairs and a sheet and choosing some things to bring into this sacred spot. After dinner, both girls were content to pretend the fort was our igloo and they listened actively to the Usbourne Book of Greek Myths for Young Children, a book I thought would be too old for them. Again they surprise me. They were hungry for more stories of Hercules and Eurystheus, long after my voice was tired. Again I am amazed at their ability to follow stories of a time and place so far removed from their life.

Each day is special. Some days we struggle with just the simplest of interactions, keeping everyone in a peaceful place, reconciling differences, and fighting demons I cannot see and they cannot remember. But other days, the sky clears and I see our life with different eyes and I am pleased. It is enough. We are doing great together. The journey is only beginning.

What the Camera Saw

Nothing feels quite so FREE as getting out of the house on a winter's day!





I promised the girls we would FINALLY take their scooters down through the neighborhood to a place where they could ride on a smooth surface without having to watch out for cars.

They were so excited! Then we had a small accident. But Delilah gave her well known battle cry which usually follows her mishaps. "I can still walk, Mom, I can still walk".



(And yes, I know my girls are not wearing helmets. There is a reason for this, which might be a blog post of it's own. Meanwhile, if you feel really uncomfortable when moms bend or break rules, then I suggest you click away right now......cause it's only going to get worse!)

We ran like the wind!

And we watched the clouds tumbling together promising snow!

And then it happened!!!!

"What does this sign say, Mom"???????

Hmmmm.......??????

Busted!

And there is only one thing to do!

Look completely innocent and then make a fancy getaway!

Safely together again and ready for the long walk back home........ Stay tuned for more adventures of the "Together in Crime Girls"..........

Not What We Do, But Who We Are

I wanted to add a tab to my blog about Homeschooling in case someone wandered in and had an interest in homeschooling for their family.

Yet when I thought about how I might write about it, I realized there is little separation between our life and our learning. Fifteen years ago, I began to consider homeschooling my son because he was so miserable at school and seemed so content being at home. Something bothered me about forcing him out the door each morning, pushing away his tearful hugs.

At that time I didn't know many homeschoolers. The ones I saw out in public seemed very conservative and I wasn't sure I would fit in. I felt more like a rebel homeschooler. And I was terrified.

There were two things that solidified the change in our family's way of learning. First, at the recommendation of my son's second grade teacher, we took him to be evaluated for ADD. We happened to hear from a friend about an excellent doctor at Duke University. Maybe it was overkill for ADD in a seven year old boy, but that's the way the story played out.

This child psychologist spent six hours with us, testing my son in a range of strengths and abilities. We told the doctor we were considering homeschooling. (Remember this was 1997 and homeschooling was not common or well understood)

The doctor looked at us steadily and then spoke clearly, saying, "Only you can make this decision for your family, but I can tell you that your son is achievement oriented. He has achievement oriented parents. It's in his genes. If he never goes another of school, he will be fine". This came from a man who obviously valued education.

Dr. March at Duke University

The second influential incident started as a morning conversation between my husband, Mark, and I. We were having a quick cup of coffee and I began to share my insecurities about being able to provide everything our children needed for their education. And he said, in his kindest voice, "Even if you do nothing, the children will benefit more from being with you all day, than from being in school".

What a vote of confidence! I'm not sure I believed it then. But it gave me the courage to move forward. In the beginning, we faced plenty of opposition. Everything from grandparents who spoke out against our decision to a teacher who actually called me and asked if I wanted to ruin my daughter's life (referring to oldest daughter who was then in Grade 5) This daughter graduated from Furman University two years ago with a degree in English. She has had a great deal of experiences already in her life, including managing an ice cream shop as a teenager and most recently teaching English in China. Whew, I'm relieved to say, and she will agree, I did not ruin her life.

During the initial adjustment period of not sending our children to school, we lost some friends and found some new ones. We spent alot of time relaxing and figuring out how we wanted to fill our days. I sometimes woke up in the middle of the night and thought with horror about what I had done. Pulling children out of school was still very rare. I was on the edge of a wave of change in education and it's never easy to be among pioneers. But no matter what happened in our physical world, I felt and saw a small light within myself. Significantly, this is the first time in my life I remember recognizing this light and agreeing to follow it. Since then, I have come to revere the light, protect it, and always, always follow it. It has led me around the world, and never once led me wrong.

Maybe if you are considering homeschooling you are interested in what products we used, what course of study we followed to ensure success. Over the years, we have tried different types of curriculum, but usually we would use something for a while and then do something completely different. I have found the best and most effective learning happens when a child wants to know about something. Then I help facilitate their learning by providing books, movies, and experiences relating to their inner drive to explore a topic.

In the end, not that this is the end by any means, so I should say, TO THIS POINT, I have one child out of college, one attending college, one in high school, and two little girls who are 4 and 5 years old.

Homeschooling Works! It just does. It's amazing what we learn just by being in the world. And with technology, now everything is at our fingertips. It's also important for me to mention what my children have not learned. They don't do peer pressure, they don't have a herd mentality, they will not likely be approached to join a cult. For better or worse, they are free thinkers. They question everything, including authority.

(People who know me well also know we have struggled with one particular child in some heartbreaking ways. I do not blame his troubles on the fact that he went to public high school. I also do not think he benefited from his experience there. And that brings me back to what I wrote about earlier today....... I recognize he is on a sacred journey. I am certain to write more about him in days to come.)

I hope I have given a good overview of how we came to homeschool and how we have defined homeschooling for our family over the years. Now we have little ones again, and a chance to choose again the way we will order our priorities. I can't say how things will change, but I know what will remain constant.......

The line others draw between learning and living is a line we will continue to erase. We learn what we live. I hope to share some of our living and learning experiences here.

Welcome to my new Blog!