A Graduate

I really don't like Graduation ceremonies. But this was my own child, I couldn't exactly miss it. 

I've long ago come to terms with her decision to attend a real school. I laid my foundation.

I did my best. I taught her how to make decisions and be independent. What did I expect to

happen? 

And in hindsight she excelled and thrived. But I knew, without a shadow of a doubt that I made

the right decision when my oldest bug said on her graduation day she was "so very happy

because she never thought she would get to graduate from a real school".

Her face and the tone of voice were enough. I home schooled. She decided when the time

was right to take learning into her own hands. I think that is TRULY what homeschooling is all

about. It is not about controlling your child. It is not about what is best for ME, the mom. It is

about what is best for each individual child. (The girls went to school, and the boy remains

home, happy to be homeschooled.)

This weekend she will attend orientation for college. THANK GOD - and as my friend Bri says

(with no blasphemous intent) - ALL the baby Jesus'

- She is staying HOME! I can still influence her, educate her and guide her as she

grows and develops, because LEARNING NEVER ENDS

so I like to believe I'm still homeschooling my College Freshman.

Please don't burst my bubble!

When do you know this homeschool stuff Works?

I was able to sit in on an interview my son participated in the other day. I know he is my son,

so my opinion is somewhat biased, but I was quite impressed with how he handled himself. 

You see, my youngest has been affectionately called “the hermit”. He prefers to be at home.

He doesn't participate in nearly as many outside activities as his sisters do. He has little

patience for the misbehavior and disrespect of his same age peers and therefore chooses

to isolate. 

Both Girls have attended school and school related activities for 3 years, not Douglas.

When Douglas was offered a seat in the private school I worked for to “test” what it was

like to go to school. He politely declined. His sisters had been attending in some way for

3 years and LOVED it. It was the “end” of their homeschool life and ultimately a good thing.

You can read more about that here. 

As a homeschool mother, this “hermit life” worries me. He is after all going to have to leave

the house to go to college, and eventually get a job. My youngest needs to learn how to

relate to others and accept all personality styles. He has one good friend that visits regularly,

and we hang out with a passel of cousins at least monthly. On top of that my “hermit” is

required to attend our Parish Confirmation classes. - He seems to be doing well here, and

this is where the interview came in. 

Lightning Bug was invited to attend the 2nd year Confirmation retreat as a “team member”

- actually he volunteered to do it because he enjoyed his experience on HIS 2nd year retreat

so much.  WHAT??? My hermit wants to leave the house? He wants to participate in

something??? After YEARS of begging him to take classes - robotics, lego, anything!!!!

Finally a spark! 

Part of the process is to participate in an interview, and parents are welcome to attend.

I didn’t intend to sit in and eavesdrop on the entire process, it just happened that way, and

now I’m glad. Lightning Bug handled each question with a maturity I didn’t know he

possessed.

He was self-assured and honest with each question asked even though he just met the

gentleman conducting the interview. As a Mother of a homeschooled-hermit, I could not 

be more proud. These are the moments when you know without a doubt what you are doing

works and you are not ruining your child.

Everyone learns differently and kids KNOW what they need. My Lightning Bug is ready

to go out into the world, he has found something he WANTS to do, and he is going to do

it WELL! 

Back to school time for so many....

For some it was last week, for others it is this week, for my homeschool it won't be until after Labor Day - but it is Back to School Season!

I came across this picture the other day while working on another project.

I have always cherished
this picture. The Bugs are "Walking" to school.

Sometimes when you homeschool you don't want anything to do with "school" things, and then
some people do! 

Our family embraces some of the traditional, stereotypical school stuff. Backpacks for example.
You really don't need the expense especially if you are surviving on one income. But on the other
hand, the joy of picking out a backpack is priceless indeed.

We managed in these one income years to make the backpacks last a few years. In fact I'm fairly
certain my now 16 year old bug has his Ben 10 backpack!

They experience far less wear and tear by NOT going to school every day. 

Another thing the kids wanted to do was "walk to school". What an awesome concept!
We put on our backpacks, or sometimes took the buddies in their strollers,
and off we went around the block. We had a community mail box, so I would
get the mail from the day before and its even exercise! 

What "school" activities do you incorporate into your homeschool? Fell free to comment!

You not Them - Great Homeschool Concept

Please note - this post may contain affiliate links. What that means is if you click that link and shop on Amazon or other website (even if you don't buy the product I'm telling you about) I may earn a % of the sale. This helps me run my household, my homeschool, and my scrapbook business. You don't pay anymore than the regular price you normally would - so shop away! THANKS! If you want to learn more about the other facets of my life - check out my other blogs!

"You Not Them"

This is a concept of homeschooling I learned from Oliver DeMille who is the author and founder of the homeschool movement called: A THOMAS JEFFERSON EDUCATION

 

I'm not going to get into all of it in this post, but, had I been able to stay home full time and home school, it was my guiding philosophy. 

This concept of "You, Not Them" on a basic level said I needed to focus on my education before the kids. They need to see me learning. 

As I grow as a life long learner I am realizing more and more how true this is. My children are basically grown and responsible for their own schooling. If you are a regular reader you know my older 2 bugs chose to attend high school a year ago and my youngest bug is homeschooled, but uses an online service (time 4 learning) I have very little to do with their schooling. Not the way I wanted it, but it is what it is. 

Back to me, not them... My rotator cuff repair surgery was a chance to focus on myself. It sounds selfish, but I can't take care of my family if I don't take care of myself. I think God was sending me a message. 

One of the books I have been wanting to read is Pride and Prejudice. Don't get excited. I cheated. I watched the mini series on Netflix. It was fantastic. I'm so thankful I had time to reset my life and my priorities. 

The Book Basket - How to encourage Reading in your Home

Please note - this post may contain affiliate links. What that means is if you click that link and shop on Amazon (even if you don't buy the product I'm telling you about) I may earn a % of the sale. This helps me run my household, my homeschool, and my scrapbook business. You don't pay anymore than the regular price you normally would - so shop away! THANKS! If you want to learn more about the other facets of my life - check out my other blogs!

I'm participating in a Summer Camp this week in which each day has a different theme. We have what I would like to call an extensive homeschool library. We collected at used book stores, garage sales, the goodwill, friends, and even Amazon quite often when I needed something specific.

Whenever we studied a particular topic, I put the books we had surrounding the topic in the "Book Basket" so they were readily available for the kids to explore. The picture shows a time we were studying scientists.

I had books in my stash for just about every day this week. It brought back so many memories of teaching the same topics to my kids.

Some favorites:

How to tell a Turtle from a Tortoise

We laughed and learned so much from this book. Even as the adults! It was a great edition to our Nature Studies.

Sound Make it Work


This one was when Lauren studied Sound for hr Science fair project. I had a very hard time finding books! I'm so glad I will get more use out of it!

Ed Emberly's Complete Funprint Drawing Book


This book got USED! over and over. Colored stamp pads, finger paint - you name it. We did so many fun projects with fingerprint art! I highly Recommend this and the other books in the series. We have SEVERAL!

Magic School Bus Get's Baked in a Cake


I never passed up a Magic School Bus book! They are just as funny as the show. I'm sure today's kids would like the show "better", however - my kids were not allowed TV, so the book basket with MSB books was always a hit!

Each evening we spend time where the only purpose was to read - everyone was doing it...Mom, Dad and kids. We picked something from the book basked and read individually. This enhanced our topics and gave us plenty to talk about!

How do you encourage reading in your home/school? Leave a comment or send me an email to share!

More Free Lapbook Templates!

Lapbooking is very popular in Homeschooling. Actually, I even used it in my classroom as a way to organize information! Lapbooks give kids something to show off. It is a way to create a project that is a work of art when finished.

One thing I have discovered over the years is there really is no right or wrong way of lapbooking. Make them your own. You can find many, many resources out there to help you. I hope you enjoy the patterns I create as much as I enjoy making them for you!

Grammar Land

Last night I overheard a conversation between Megan and Douglas. They were talking about past lessons. Remember when Mom had us do that weird Grammar stuff, about going to jail...

They were discussing the classic book GRAMMAR LAND (this is the Free PDF version, but it is also available in print) by M.L. Nesbitt.

Another homeschooler took the time to create worksheets to go along with the book and you can find those here: GRAMMAR LAND WORKSHEETS

Here is the summary from Amazon about the book:

Before the days of Schoolhouse Rock’s jingles like “Conjunction Junction,” and silly English class acronyms like the “Fan Boys,” there was the playful primer Grammar-Land, which has been teaching children (and adults in need of a refresher) the basic rules of English grammar since its first publication in the 1870s.

            In the allegorical world of Grammar-Land, the nine parts of speech—rich Mr. Noun, his useful friend Pronoun, little ragged Article, talkative Adjective, busy Dr. Verb and Adverb, perky Preposition, convenient Conjunction, and irksome Interjection—are brought to trial by Judge Grammar to settle disputes over the rules of language. Each part of speech is called in turn to take the stand, where they are questioned by Doctor Syntax and Sergeant Parsing. In the course of the amusing trial, the reader, perhaps without even realizing it, is exposed to the most important rules of grammar.

            This charming facsimile edition once again brings the characters of Grammar-Land to life for the entertainment and edification of a new generation of adults and children alike.

It was really neat to hear the kids reminisce about old homeschool lessons. You never know what is going to stick with them. 

Recreating Pictures

Since the initial Disney Schooling year we had in 2011, Disney passes have been important to our family. Every family vacations differently. This is what we do. 

Anyway, it's fun to experience the same thing as the bugs age. As a matter of fact, our first Family trip I was pregnant with Douglas, so he can say he has been going to Disneyland since before he was born! 

I have a few cherished pictures that I want to recreate, so today since we were having an easy day due to my surgery, we did one of them. 

We didn't go so far as trying to match outfits and all, and due to building the new Star Wars land, we couldn't get the same spot. 

It works for me. Feeding the ducks was a FAVORITE activity. More than rides. Heaven forbid I forgot the bread. Seriously that was a crime. 

Those memories stay with me now that my teenagers barely have time to talk to me before noon.

Teaching Trades in homeschools

It's been a long time coming, but Lightning Bug is finally getting his room remodel. We live in a home that is 41 years old and everything but the carpet and appliances are original. I guess people generally don't redo drywall, but whatever!  The great thing is it happens to be MY childhood home, and Lightning Bug is in MY room. 

So, the carpet is gone and the first half of the tile is started. This is a great opportunity for school outside the box! Home improvement projects are some of my favorites! Not only do they get Daddy involved as the instructor, but seriously, what elementary/ or high school teaches tiling 101? (If your local school does, please feel free to comment, because that is awesome! A trade school just might!) 

When we have a project like this, regular school gets pushed aside so the project can take priority. 

What specialty classes do you incorporate into your homeschool that may not be found in a traditional school?

Elf on the Shelf Ideas

14, 16 and 17...yet they still have an elf (bear) on the shelf. 

I tried to *end* the elf but they love it....that actually warms my heart! 

Our elf brings little gifts. I suppose its similar to an advent calendar. I get up before they do and hide Tinsel. The trouble is figuring out places to hide this elf after all these years! 

Next year since they are older, whoever finds Tinsel gets to hid him for the next day! I will simply wrap the little presents to accompany each day so there is still an element of surprise.

Homeschooling when kids attend traditional school requires thinking outside the box.

Since the girls are not homeschooled any longer I cherish the time we get together. 

My friends and I get together once a month for some sort of craft.  This month we headed over to Pila's pantry for a gingerbread house class. One of my friends, lady macgyver couldn't make it and generously offered to pay for one of my girls, so I paid for the other! 

Remember, things like this = school! Ha ha I tricked those girls and in moments like these I still get to homeschool them! As you can imagine the boy wanted nothing to do with it! 

Collecting Ornaments kids can take with them

I call it the Ugly Tree. 

I'm the only one who thinks it's ugly...I dream of the perfect tree, with color coordinated ornaments like you see in magazines...but this is what I get. . . A tree filled with mismatched ornaments and so much LOVE! 

MANY of the ornaments are handmade by the kids over the years. Others are characters they were into at that particular time... Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, Ben 10 to name one time period. 

Because I was home for Christmas break each year, making ornaments is a little touch I was able to keep up with. When the kids outgrew that, they still got a new ornament each year. 

Aunt TB has given them personalized ornaments with their name and the year too! I even happen to have 3 exact ornaments from my MIL somehow. 

The plan is to give each bug their ornaments when they move out. . . So, eventually I will get that "perfect" color coordinated tree, and who wants to bet I hate it.... 

What Christmas activities do you incorporate into your homeschool? 

Using Disneyland as school

Still not strong enough, but had to try... It seems Lightning Bug was happy to oblige my picture taking self and then promptly launched into a narrative of the movie the Sword in the Stone...as well as a comparison of the Legend of Sir Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. That's impressive in my opinion.

Anyone care to discuss how Disneyland isn't school?

Here is Douglas in 2011 trying his best to remove the sword

 and in 2018 still not strong enough....