I've been asked to tell about our homeschooling journey, especially since we have graduated two. Even before we were married, my husband and I talked about homeschooling. I was teaching in a small, private (but not Christian) school. I had less than a dozen students, of all ages. I told my husband-to-be that if I could teach various ages of other people's children, surely I'd be able to homeschool our own! Annaka arrived not quite a year after we got married. We were living in a small town in southern Illinois, but moved to metro St. Louis when she was about 4 months old. We moved into one of the top 10 school districts in the COUNTRY. Our church also had a Christian school which met in their building. (The church did not over see it, simply remnted space to them). SO, I wondered if we would keep the plan to homeschool. After all, there were two very good "traditionial" options. As it happened, BJ arrived when Annaka was 3, and we moved the next year to a small town in northern West Virginia. Annaka was now 4, BJ 1, and there were no children their ages in our neighborhood. When we lived in St. Louis, Annaka had sever friends, including the neighbor, with whom she played all day every day. They even ate at least one meal together every day. Now she was suddenly thrust into a world with no play mates. As I said, it was a small town. There was a public school in town, and the class sizes were small. The town was a college town, and many of the teachers at the school were Christian. We investigated putting her (even though she was only 4) into Kindergarten, but they would not enroll her. We found a Christian school in Pennsylvania (40 minute drive each way) that had a 4K on Tuesday and Thursday. It was a full day program, so the drive would be several hours apart. She was enrolled, and her formal schooling began. The next year the 5K was M, W, & F, and I was hired to teach on Friday, which helped with the tuition and the number of round trips required. My husband was able to stay home with BJ that year, which also was a help. The Christian school was a good experience for Annaka. She was happy, learning, making friends. She had a great teacher, and an excellent peer group. First grade at Faith Christian Academy was, of course, five days a week, and we simply couldn't afford the time, gas and wear & tear on the car to make 10 round trips a week,so we enrolled her in the public school. We should have started homeschooling at that point, but we didn't. I thought with just 12 kids in the classroom and a "Christian" teacher it would be nearly as good as the private school. The teacher was nearing retirement and had lost her edge. The peer group was rough and mean. It was a disaster. I should have removed her and started homeschooling her, but I didn't. (I have had to apologize to Annaka and repent to God since then.) When BJ turned 4, we enrolled him in the same Christian school. Same 2 day a week program, same great teacher. Different peer group (of course!) and not nearly the positive experience his sister had. I should have removed him and started homeschooling him, but I didn't. We put him back for the K5 year, and added another family to car pool with. It was not a good year. (I have had to apologize to BJ and repent to God since then.) Caleb was born that year. Then it was time for BJ to be in 1st grade. The same teacher was still teaching 1st grade. We knew we could not do to him what we had done to Annaka, so we decided to homeschool. Annaka was going to be in 4th grade, and said she wanted to finish her primary school years there. The local school went only to 4th grade, and then she would be bussed to the next town over for middle school. We told her she could finish 4th grade at the public school, or we could bring her home when we started schooling BJ at home. She made the choice to go one more year at the public school, knowing that she was going to be home for middle school. Of her 4 teachers at the public school, the 4th grade teacher was by far the best. However, the peer group was still the same, with an added bully who had moved into town. She started the school year OK, but before the first month was over she was sick every morning. I told her I wasn't going to put her though that for the whole year, and so we did what was necessary to bring her home also. By October, both were home, and we were loving having time together. I had been a teacher. I had tons of materials, but I bought more from CBD and a couple of other places. I had been to support groups, but never a homeschool convention. I honestly didn't know what options there were. We were using a variety of text books & work books, and concentrating mostly on the basics. We did an occasional unit study. After a couple of years, we had gotten into a rut. It was no longer fun. I still knew home was the best place for my children to learn. I still knew I was the best (human) teacher for them, but the product wasn't working any more. I remember the day Tony came home from work and asked how the day went. I told him it was awful. The kids weren't enjoying it, I wasn't enjoying it, and unless something changed, I was going to send them all to school (Caleb was 3) preferably boarding school. I was joking, but I knew we needed to do something different. I had a catalog from a literature based curriculum that I wanted to try, but was a bit cautious, because it looked expensive. My wonderful husband (who is a college librarian, by the way) said we should give it a try. We have never looked back. It has been wonderful. Sure, there are those days that aren't wonderful. Everyone has them, but as a whole, the experience has been wonderful. We schooled at home for 4 years in West Virginia, and then moved to Tennessee. When people knew we were moving, they asked us if we were going to continue to homeschool. We said, "Of course! Homeschooling is a life style for us." We have lived in Tennessee for 9 years now. Every year Annaka would say, "I will do what you & dad want me to do, but I hope you never send me back to traditional school." She graduated in 2002, went on to college, and graduated in May. While in college she was on the dean's list most semesters, and very active in extra events. She is married & living a couple of hours away, as her husband has gone back to school. BJ graduated in 2005, and went on to college. He has been on the dean's list one semester, and barely missed it the other. He is well adjusted, well liked, and anxious to get back to school in a few weeks. He found his special friend at school, and they are engaged to be married in May. We recently made the decision to move to a new home in a different county. We have been asked if we would continue to homeschool. (People simply seem to believe that it is a reaction to a specific school or school district). We have just started our 15th year of homeschooling. The little one we are hoping to adopt will soon be 4. We have 14 more to go on this adventure, and I'm still lovin' it.

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