A few years ago if you were to ask me about homeschooling I would have told you “no way that is not for me”! I never felt it was good for all the Christian families to be taken out of our public school. They are the arrows that we shoot into the world.  I still feel strongly that they are our “arrows” and that we are sending them into the world.  However, my “thoughts” on it all has changed a tad.  I really feel strongly that there is no ONE RIGHT way for schooling.  I think everyone is different.

Every family and the children in that family are different and the needs are different for each.  God knows how stubborn I can be at times and well I just feel like He knew He had to force my hand a little.  So California made a stupid law not allowing children to go to school who do not have vaccinations .  Since we have decided as a family not to do them anymore for various reasons, we were forced to homeschool.

There are days where I feel like kicking them to the curb.  HA.  (kidding… sorta). I was just talking the other day with my sister about, how by having them home we get to take advantage of building those relationships, deepening and developing that.  Also, just to be able to see where our kids are at academically has been a real eye opener for me.  Seems like we are better in tune to what they may need and where their strengths and weaknesses are.

Today I was super excited (so was Gideon and Titus).  They went through an entire K-Primer book from the GOOD AND THE BEAUTIFUL company.  I’m loving this curriculum so much! It really is awesome.  I love the ease of it.  I love the open and go of it.  I love the short lessons.  I love how beautiful and fun it is. I love that all the literature is good and beautiful.  I love how much they learn.  I love that its not boring or the same ‘ol same ‘ol thing every day.  I’m using it right now for Titus, Gideon, Luke and Adam ( all at different levels).  Gideon and Titus will move right on into the K – Level (which is advanced kinder).  Its been exciting for me to watch these little guys learn sounds, words, vowels and so much more and I’m the teacher! Ha! I’m impressed at how much they can learn in such short learning spans during our days! Love that the best! More time for adventure and play.   The amount of reading (especially my older ones) have done is awesome and I’m so excited about that too!

I never thought that I would love homeschooling my kids so much.  I never thought I could do it (I still doubt a lot), but I’m doing it and they are all learning.  I’m realizing how fast time on this earth goes so quickly and I need to just take all the moments and strive to make them the best.  Yes, I fail miserably at this so very often.  However, I’m learning to slow down and enjoy more.  Stop and breathe and be OK with school ending before noon (sometimes way before noon since my kids get up at that crack of dawn some days!) I’m loving the flexibility in our days too.  I love that we can get up and go to a park, zoo, tide pools, coffee, drive or some random field trip and not have to check them out of school.  There seems to be more peace.  More calm overall (except on the days with attitude and issues we must address, …. thats all part of it though…. )

I think too, of my Gregory who is a Senior is the public High School that i graduated from.  In 4 months he will be graduating! I think of his schooling and how awesome he did all through school and how he’s learned so much. We had a hand in choosing his awesome Elementary teachers.  He’s been a great kid and and example to his many friends.  He was saved at the age of 7 and loves the Lord and strives to live a life for Him. I’m beyond thankful for that and I’m glad he has been an arrow that we shot out and he’s done amazing! I often wonder how it would have been to homeschool him all those years.  I think too that times are changing.  This world is getting worse.   Schools will continue to go downhill.  He just shared  that he was at a school assembly,  there was a man sharing his “coming out” story.  He was a gay man sharing this with the entire High School! What next?!

Maybe  God allows things to happen so we would start getting accustomed to having them home  for a longer time and get to start out with some of them at a younger age.  I have to admit starting younger is easier than pulling them at an older age (we did that with Adam).  So while I still do want to send my kids out into this world to be that LIGHT into a dark world….. its ok for them to be home a little longer before we shoot very far from home.