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."