I've been so sidetracked that I nearly forgot about this great blog site - I love to read fellow homeschool bloggers & boy have I learned some comforting stuff in this cyber room!

Not so sidetracked anymore though. We have settled into somewhat of a routine & learned to breathe deeply through the pressure....exhale & let it go....because the things that were hindering us are just so unimportant in the bigger picture of homeschool life.

The end of the "year" is here & I have decided on a curriculum for next year (our 1st official year), found a co-op, made some nice friends...we can go into our summer & have some fun! 

Kel

Its been a month since removing AJ from public school - I have already sent
by certified mail my NOI to the Superintendant, have the receipt, CC'd
the school registrar - and NOW they are calling. Now!?! At the time of
pulling him he was going on a 3 week spring break from school, but
school has officially been back in session for over 2 weeks, and they
are just now realizing that he hasn't been there, keeping a seat warm,
getting picked on, not responding to roll call! Uh HELLO? When he was a
public student & stayed home sick, they called me before noon to see
what the excuse was for the absence. Why did it take them 2 weeks for
this?
I responded politely about homeschooling & the steps I took to notify
everyone who needed it - and she (NOT so politely) said that I not only
NEED permission but that until I GET the permission, he is supposed to
be in school. Is this true? She said she is going to have the school
counselor call me back, trying to prepare myself to be ON the defensive
but not BE defensive.
Help,
Kelly in Virginia

Well, here we are, just about a month into our homeschooling and I am feeling very ill-equipped to do this!My "little blonde moments" are turning into full blown days!!

It will help once we have a curriculum, and there is a curriculum fair (make that 2) coming up within the next 2 weeks, so there is light at the end of my current tunnel. But for now, I am holding a fierce pity party! 

Its just that I'm beginning to wonder what I'm really teaching AJ right now - that his mom has no clue? That she makes it up as she goes along?

I mean, we have no schedule, no routine. We do math, we have done one science project, with one more on the horizon, and everyday he clips an article of interest from the paper & puts it in a sheet protector with some basic highlights. Oh - and he has become heavily addicted to Calvin & Hobbes! But thats where his love for reading begins & ends. Sometimes I have him read from a chapter book we picked up from the library, sometimes I totally forget. Lets see, oh and we are good about getting Discovery Channel videos from the library. But thats it. Thats all. Thats the extent of what I know how to do right now. There are amazing historical sights in our neck of the woods...Monticello, Williamsburg, DC just a couple hours north of us...but with gas prices the way they are, I can barely afford to back out of the driveway! I drive a Suburban...I think I get about 4 FEET to the gallon!

I'm beginning to find out things about myself - like I have many delusions of grandeur about homeschooling!  I thought of myself as probably being more the eclectic type, learning from here & there & everywhere, but am slowly coming to the conclusion that I am craving structure. I want, no, I NEED a curriculum, a guideline with timelines. And I have been looking! On a daily basis I am finding a brochure or catalog in my mailbox...and have some ideas...just can't wait for those fair dates to arrive so I can get a hands on peek. I love the internet, but at the end of the day, I want some information in my hands that I can curl up with & read & re-read.

Currently thinking of: Sonlight, Oak Meadow, & K12

OK, thats my monkey business for today...

I'd love to start this blogger on the right foot, you know, eager, excited, with good news to share...unfortunately, thats not how today went...

Don't get me wrong, I AM eager, excited, and totally commited to this experience, we just got off to a rough start today, thats all. My son is 11, a 6th grader. Back home in California that made him top dog on the totem pole in the elementary school he had attended forever. But a move here this past December launched him into Middle School. I feel like scary music should play in the background when I say that! Its been tough on us all, to say the least, but as the people who made the choice to move across the country, my husband & I don't feel we can complain. But the kids can. Somedays they do. Somedays they don't. Its not that we moved to H-E-double-hockey-sticks or anything, but the school system leaves MUCH to be desired. My kindergartener is having a great experience (thank heavens!!) but I saw no other choice but to pull my AJ from the system before he was emotionally and/or physically hurt. There was this amazing sense of relief that came with making that decision - for him and for me! Oh, I'd absolutely change all the bad incidences if I could, but going back is not an option...and really, I'm starting to see the blessing in disguise. Homeschooling is a whole new world...and there are mini-worlds within. We haven't chosen a style or a curriculum as yet...letting him "detox" for a couple weeks - hey, he'd be on vacation from public school right now anyways. Besides, truth be told, I already tried rushing in & ran smack into a brick wall! So I took the advice of a few admired HS moms & backed off. The trouble this week is that now he seems to think I SHOULD be making him do stuff, eyeyeye. We've explored the library and depleted their supply of Calvin & Hobbes books, gone on nature hikes,  and found ways to turn everyday stuff into learning experiences. We also picked up stuff from the parent/teacher store to keep us headed in the right direction until we can really get our feet wet. I nominated my husband to be designated Science Teacher Extraordinnaire & so far they've made water bend. Yep. Bend. I don't know how, but they do.

There is a curriculum convention in just a few weeks....looking forward to covering every inch of it!