Whenever I hear that "No School" land, I think by golly people must think we are just a bunch of lazy ignorant no good ..............LOL.  Nevermind, we won't go there.  I always say, no comparisons.  Don't get caught up in that trap, no sireeeee.

But it is so hard not to compare.  I think it makes us feel secure or something.  When we compare up, but not when we compare down.

So today, let me tell you what we were up to in NoSchoolLand.  Actually, I think I need to change the name.....hmmmm.  Let's see, how about InquisitiveMindLand?  Or SevenYearOldsAreBusyLand? Or, MyGirlsLoveToCreateLand?  Or LearnTheBasicsThenGoForItLand?

Gosh, I guess I am getting a bit silly.  But if you are visiting my blog today, it might be because I volunteered to talk about unschooling on the HSB Company Porch on Thursdays, and if you read my little ditty today, you may have then jogged over here to see what else I have to say.  OR you are just a friend who stopped by to say hello.  Either way, it's fine with me.  I just want to make it worth your while to be here!

You know, I just want to feel peace about my homeschooling efforts more than anything.  When the peace is there, then the joy is easier to rejoice with, and the discovery is eaisier to discover, and the mundane is easier to endure, and the mess is easier to .......well, ignore mostly.  I want to have peace in knowing that my kids are able to accomplish what they want to, and that they have a place to do it, and they don't give up to easliy if it gets a bit hard.  And I want to have peace in knowing that I am capable of helping them learn, and that they are capable of acheiving their goals.  Peace knowing it will be fun sometimes, peace knowing it will be miserable at other times.

I don't want life to be perfect, and sometimes perfectionism paralyzes homeschooling Mothers.  How many of you have a resource, a book, a project or something that has been there for months, even years, that you won't get out and do because you just know it won't work out for whatever reason?  You are afraid it won't turn out right, you don't have the right work space, or whatever.  Well, just get it out and do the crazy thing and have fun!  Just Do It is a great motto.

After years of letting my Kono's timeline sit on the shelf, I finally put it up a year or so ago, and it's been so much fun!  I kept thinking I had to have the wall painted or something, or I didn't have enough space, or whatever.  Finally I just put newsprint all over the walls and stapled it up there!  And we have had so much fun adding to it and seeing our timeline grow.  Kids are visual, and it's a good thing to do stuff like that.  Put stuff on the walls. 

And all those neat collections you have packed away, for goodness sake take them out and let your kids see them.  Let them explore them.  We have had all kinds of fun with stamps this week.  The kids have looked at them through the microscope,  have figured out where they are from, and my 7 yo found George Washington on an old 2 center and brought me the book of the presidents and showed me how it looked just like the General!  Let them DO stuff.  Keep them challenged.

So here I am telling you what to do, after I just told you it's not a good thing to compare.  But what I mean is it is OK to get ideas from other moms.  Wow, you know I have found some of the neatest ideas here on HSB?  I am especially excited about some of the neat things I have seen for preschoolers!  Now, if I only had one left.....all my preschoolers grew up on me!

Ok, well, now it is pretty late and I have this inkling that I may not be making a lot of sense.....so let me just give you a quick run down of our day:

Got up late, crazy daylight savings time has got us ALL messed up.  Thank you Benjamin Franklin.  Out of all your wonderful ideas, I think this one stunk big time.  :)

Did some dicatation with my darling daughter who loves to do academics.  A model student.  I have been doing these dictation and spelling sentences with all the kids, and I am so pleased with how they are doing!  We haven't been real stringent with this, pushing them yet.  And I wasn't really keen on this, because I like to teach them "in context."  I would rather that they write Grandma a letter, than copy Dick and Jane.  So, back to the dication book which is by Susan C. Anthony.....well, it's pretty boring.  I really like this lady, but believe me, if my daughter didn't push me to read her the sentences, I wouldn't.  I told her that I wish it were a little more relevant.  I would rather they practice writing great quotes, or perhaps, just perhaps, Bible memory verses!  So, Lo and Behold, when I went to the website just now to get the link......she has downloadable BIBLE dictation sentences to go with her spelling lists!  Halelluja!  Isn't that super???  I can't wait to tell my daughter tomorrow.  Be sure to check out Susan's website.  She does have some really neat things.  We also own Facts Plus.  Now, is does have some billions of years stuff in it so spit out the parts you don't agree with and appreciate the great assets.

Then I worked some on an article that is staring me in the face.  Worked on some Civil War stuff with my son who is writing a book about it.  He has been completely inspired by Bob Farewell and "Gettysburg, the Second Day."  Then my girls had piano lessons, and the baby worked on his new hobby, Philately. 

The girls made dinner, chicken and biscuits, and a friend came by for a visit.  And Dad has his second "owie" in two days.  He is a carpenter, and I told him I am about to confiscate his power tools.  (right.) 

And so it goes.  Can we find peace in all this?  Yes, I believe we can.  Even in the midst of all this, there is peace.

Galatians 5:22  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Homeschooling Is Life!

Nancy

Cindy Rushton and Ramona Creel are interviewed on this premier podcast from the HomeCast!  What fun.  You might even hear some other familiar names and voices on there if you listen real close :)

Blessings,

Nancy

I started writing this post on the 5th, and have been SO busy that I just now got it finished----only to have it not show up on the new entries page.  I suppose it is there, just a few days back :)

Anyhow, if you are at all curious, and WHO WOULDN'T be with a title like that~

read on dear friends, read on.

Nancy

"It's tooooo expensive!"     "Who can afford it?~ We are a one income family!"  "Even with our support group discount, I can't fork over that kind of money right now."  "Maybe next year.....we'll see." 

Well, now that I have your attention, I just have to tell you that after all these years, I just finally joined HSLDA.

 I have been thinking about this for a long time, but had a lot of misinformation and a lot of really lame excuses for not joining.  Some of those quotes above actually were some of my "very good reasons."  But, here are some more that I have heard from various homeschoolers over the years:

"I don't need HSLDA if I am in compliance with our state law." 

 (I guess I better ask my new buddy Scott just how the stats are on that.  I am not sure, but probably those folks who aren't complying with their state homeschool statutes don't give too much of a hoot about getting help from HSLDA.  We'll see.)

"HSLDA says you gotta follow a set curriculum." 

 This has been a subject of consternation with some of my unschooling friends.  Once again, I don't know for sure (but I bet we will find out) their opinion.  My opinion is this:  Even those folks that might classify themselves as unschoolers do use tangible resources, and can document their unschooling curriculum!  That may sound like an oxymoron, but it is possible to show or journal your educational progress in many ways.  Just because what you are using isn't a typical course of study doesn't mean it isn't a valid course of study.  Whether you want to believe it or not, even in the most un-institutional learning situation, incremental learning happens all the time.  Line upon line, precept upon precept.  

"HSLDA is only for Christians." 

 Nope, not true.  Although HSLDA is made up of stong Christian lawyers and leaders, you do not have to agree with a statement of faith.  However, they have a strict moral code that you must adhere to in order to utilize their services.  I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong about that. 

"HSLDA doesn't represent the majority of homeschoolers." 

 Well, there are other groups out there pulling for us, and I for one appreciate anyone who has homeschooling close to their heart and is willing to speak out for us.  But HSLDA has been out there for a lotta years now, and is on the front lines in courtrooms and in legislative meetings with a collective knowledge and education of many highly respected lawyers---many, if not all of them being homeschool families themselves.  These people love us homeschoolers because they ARE hoemschoolers.

"I just can't fork over that kind of dough for the membership." 

This is one fallacy I just proved wrong.  A lot of support groups have a discount AND I just found out that they have payment options!!! Woo hoo!  I can easily do the quarterly plan, and I just can't tell you how excited I am.  Oh, and one last word.  This legal support is truly something that is worth the $$.  In our day, with so much opposition and misinformation out there this membership is priceless.

OK, so if I have indeed managed to wash all my arguments down the drain, good.  If you have anything to add, good or bad (with-in the rules of respectable debate) feel free to post them here.  I do want to say however, that whether you are a Christian Homeschooler, or not, you need to thank your lucky stars---whoever they may be, for their help in upholding the freedom that we are still fighting to get or retain.  (Whether we "should" have to is another blog for a later time.)

Oh, and one more quick thing.  If you are following the relief effort,  I can well imagine that you are as blessed as I am to see the outpouring of support.  Here is one response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina via HSLDA:

Home School Legal Defense Association has also established Operation Extended Family to bring together homeschoolers who have needs during this time with homeschoolers who would like to help with housing, employment, or other needs. So many of you—over 3,500 families—have expressed your willingness to help. We have been overwhelmed by your generosity. Thank you! If you did not receive a response, please accept our apology—we simply could not respond to each offer of help.

And just one last LAST detail:

From Today's HSLDA update:  "The best things in life are free."

    And if you think that HSLDA membership is one of the good things
    in your life, then this statement can still be true. When you
    encourage three of your friends to join HSLDA, not only will they
    enlist in the important fight on behalf of homeschooling freedoms,
    but you can have your membership renewed for one year...absolutely
    free!

    More reasons to join HSLDA...
    http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=2079

Tell them Nancy sent you!