I was recently reading an article which discussed how public school teachers were discouraging their students from taking Latin. It's too difficult, the teachers claimed. I had to laugh.

My four children and I have been working through an elementary-level Latin course called Prima Latina. We love it! And even though we have mainly been listening to the CD lately instead of doing the corresponding workbook lessons (because the workbooks are not with us at my parents' home), we have still learned so much!

The other day, my 10 year old daughter and I were sitting in the local magistrate's office. She suddenly turned to me and said, "Magistrate. Magister, Magistra. Teacher." She recognized the Latin term the word magistrate was derived from, and applied it. Of course, I had to explain that a magistrate is NOT a teacher but it was an interesting application of Latin.

So anyway. Latin's not dead and it's not difficult. It's helpful!

On June 2nd, I and my four children started a new life. It wasn't intentional, mind you. We were supposed to be temporarily separating from my husband while he got counseling for his anger problem. I told the kids we were on vacation at my parents' house for a little while. It's a great place for curious children - four acres in rural NC. There are wild blackberries in the backyard, butterflies, fireflies, birds, wasps, flowers and the occasional deer.

Three weeks later and we're still here. It's not so temporary anymore. It's permanent enough that I'll be getting my NC drivers' license and we're looking into getting a mobile home put in behind my parents' home. We're trying to find other homeschoolers or at least other children in this neck of the woods. So far we haven't had much luck. The young'uns are lonely. I'm lonely.

My oldest daughter has been in a mental health facility since last Monday night. She needed to go, but I can't say it's been easy. She's an hour away! On the plus side, her counselor encouraged me in homeschooling, saying it seems to work really well with Tater. Isn't it funny? It's always the people I least suspect who encourage me in this work I do.

My parents seemed to want me to stop homeschooling since I'll have to get some kind of work to support us. However, while looking at houses, they kept saying "And this would make the perfect homeschooling room" whenever we'd see a spare space. So apparently they're changing their minds. I think we just need to see what God'll do. If I get the curriculum I feel He's leading me back to (Weaver Volume 4, if I can find a cheap/used copy), I'll know it's what I'm supposed to do. If not, not. I've realized that we'll always be in home-learning mode. It's ingrained in us. It's what we do, even when we're not "schooling."