Homeschool Funnies

My mother-in-law jokingly emailed me the following message:

"I don't think I like this homeschool business anymore... How am I going to get school pictures now?"

Don't worry... I have a professional camera and will be taking lots of pics of the kids and our school projects. Also- I am a bit excited to not feel guilty about paying $42/child for school pictures anymore. Whew! Those are some pricey pictures!!!

On another note- we are getting geared up for school around here. The kids ask daily if we can start today. I keep holding them off until I feel that I have planned the curriculum for at least two weeks in advance. I know I could start now, but I still feel that the time between Christmas and New Years should be spent being lazy for the kids and taking down all Christmas decor for the adults. So- that's the plan. We will start sooner than I thought. Originally we were going to start January 15, but now we are going to begin on the 2nd. The kids will LOVE it!! :)

Humorous Happenings

The things children will say...

Today while leaving the movie theater, (where we saw "The Muppets" which was GREAT- by the way,) Jenna says:

"Wait a minute.... there are NO SNOW DAYS in Homeschool!!"

Funny kid!!

Countdown

It is official. At 10am Friday there are roughly 6 hours left until my children are home-schooled. AAAHHHHHH! So scary and nervous and anxious and unprepared and... (I could go on and on...)

But it is these three faces that keep me smiling. I get to see this:

and this:

and this:
EVERY DAY from now on. Who wouldn't be excited about that?!

Last Few Days of Public School

So, yesterday was Taesun's class party. I was in charge of it since I have been "room mom" this year alongside a friend of mine. While the party was shaping up, I learned Taesun didn't feel that great. He looked sick. I asked him if he wanted to stay for the party and then skidaddle a bit early... He agreed and we had a plan. Party... then home.

WELL...... As I was calling out Bingo pictures for the kids, I looked over and noticed that Tae's head was down on his table. Hmmm. I asked him if he was feeling alright. He said no. "Why don't we go home then?" He started to head towards his backpack as I was scrambling to find another parent to fill in for me at Bingo.

All of a sudden... BLEH!!! All over the classroom floor.... in front of parents, children, teachers, and me. Quickly we took him over to the sink area where he puked into a garbage can two more times. Poor Tae. We gathered up his belongings and speed-walked to the front office to check him out.

As I was at a church function tonight, Taesun's teacher called. She said for Tae to come to school anyway since it would be his last day at public school. She also wants me there. (I'm assuming she has a 'thank you' gift for being room mom.)

I have been having a hard time with pulling them out of school. This makes it harder. Tae has a teacher who truly cares. We have become friends over the last six months. It will be sad to not have her as his teacher anymore. I still know that we are doing the right thing, but that doesn't make the right thing any easier to do.

Preparations Galore!

In preparing for our new lifestyle, I have come across some pretty good books. There is one in particular that I loved that would be great for ANYONE to read... (Especially if you are just now finding out that we are homeschooling and think, 'why in the world?')

"So- Why Do You Homeschool?" by Mimi Davis

This is really a book for people thinking about homeschooling OR for people who know family/friends that are starting to homeschool. I highly recommend it. I read it cover-to-cover in less than one day. My favorite parts were the origin of public school and the agenda of the NEA (National Education Association). These excerpts were very eye-opening to me.

We are ordering our curriculum through Amazon today and I signed up for Amazon Prime. It really is exciting to think I can order ANYTHING and get FREE SHIPPING now!! (It's the little perks in life,right?)

The kids are nervous to "pull the plug" but are gaining excitement each day. Jenna is now on board and Taesun begs me to stay home as it is already. Addison would like to finish out the school year, but likes the idea of sleeping in to 8:30!!

I am a bit anxious still. The original plan was to pull the kids out of school at the end of Spring Semester. It is a natural transition time and would have the least effect on the kids. Due to some more findings on our parts, Rob and I discovered that close to our entire PTA board have decided to homeschool. Hmmm.... makes me wonder what they know that I don't. This just solidified our decision to pull the kids out sooner rather than later.

Originally I had months to prepare, but now I only have weeks. We will have a bit of "decompression" time. The materials will come in a few days. I will start organizing space in our home for files and schooling materials. I will be doing a deep-cleaning in the house prior to Friday (kids last day of public school), so we will start with a fresh slate.

The Ro Show is changing networks...

We have been thinking about homeschooling our three children for a few months now. I have met with other homeschool families and talked to other moms about why and how. I have read books about homeschooling. I have researched Georgia state's laws regarding homeschool. My husband Rob and I have prayed. We have asked our Father in Heaven for answers.

Have you ever thought about homeschooling your children? It is a tough decision that I am sure no family takes lightly. Education is something that we hold in high regard.

Why is it such a hard decision? First off, I have "freedom" right now. This year was my first year with all three kids in school. I have not worked this year. It has been an amazing experience. I have kept a clean house. I have fed my family. I have managed to do the errands without even a hiccup. My husband and I have a better relationship than we've ever had. It just keeps getting better everyday. I am truly happy. Why would I want to compromise all of those blessings?

FOR MY CHILDREN.

By deciding to homeschool, I will definitely have my world turned upside-down. I will no longer be able to run errands without three kids in tow. I will no longer be able to catch a matinee by myself. I will no longer have my lunch dates with my husband on Fridays. I won't be free to do whatever I want, whenever I choose.

I've always said that my children come first. Since I began reading literature about homeschooling I have felt peace. I have felt security in ways I never dreamt of. By choosing to teach my children in our home, I know they will be in a place where the Spirit dwells. I know they will be learning character-building traits that they will carry with them throughout their lives. They will learn about our Constitution. They will learn about the Founding Fathers. They will learn about.... [gasp...] God. They will study scripture. They will not just "move on" in a subject when they don't understand their current lesson. They will actually be able to spend some time to LEARN it.

My dream is to raise children who are of course intellectual, but more importantly, GOOD CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. I want my children to understand that I am willing to sacrifice whatever freedom I have right now for their long-term well-being. It is a sacrifice, but one that I know will pay off for my kids in the end.