Approaching Glory

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Homeschooling has been, for me, one of those things in life that you wish you could go back and do again - now that you know what you know.  As I have said before, homeschooling was never a path I thought I'd ever walk.

Back in the eighties I knew a lady who home schooled her family.  I thought she was odd to say the least.  I had never heard of anyone doing such - and why would they - I wondered.  Then I had a friend who had some difficulties with her child and the public school system.  Her child had some learning disabilities and she brought her two daughters home to school.  She was using a pre-packaged homeschool curriculum that I didn't even know existed.  I was in training to be a certified teacher at the time and I looked rather askance at her venture.  Around that same time (think eighties), another one of our friend's son had some issues with their school and she withdrew him to homeschool.  This friend ended up using a the public school texts with teacher assignments provided her. (special case this doesn't normally happen)

So, imagine my surprise when my principal took me aside (back in the early nineties), after a "this is going nowhere" Teacher Support team meeting on my son, and told me to take Jbird home and school him myself.  Now my principal was (and is not) a supporter of homeschooling, but she did love my kid and she knew (even as I was waking up and smelling the roses) that my child was going to perish in our school system.  So home we went and here we are.

At the same time I was beginning my adventure into the great unknown -so were a couple of my younger friends.  Where are we all today?  Well, many of the people I know homeschool to a certain age (although at the beginning they swear they are going to go all the way through HS) and then place their children either in the public school system, a private school, or use the accredited homeschool options.  Sometimes that is due to necessity (like Mom had to go back to work for some reason), for some it is due to the challenge of teaching/facillitating the HS curriculum, and some want to have their children graduate from a recognized accredited school in order to qualify for the  Georgia Hope Scholarship.  Which is a HUGE issue here in Georgia - believe me.  If your child has maintained a "B" average in HS they practically get a free ride at the state public colleges and some nice help if they decide to attent private schools.  There is also a Hope Grant which allows a free ride (plus a $300.00 book expenditure) to all the state tech schools. They also have an online tech class that offers a Sports Management/Recreation AA degree which looks promising - which would be covered by the Hope E-Learning Grant.  I guess where there's a will there's a way.  The key is finding the hopes - wishes - will of the child.  Not there yet.

Today, homeschooling is a big thing and support groups, curriculum, and fine arts programs are all over the place (at least around here and Atlanta).  Our friend J just got a full ride to Indiana U.  Another young lady we know just got a dual type enrollment at Reinhardt College.  These are kids who have home-schooled all the way through - like we are.  Many of the colleges here in Georgia are finally becoming homeschool friendly.  There is a growing outreach to students with ADHD and other disabilities as well.

Today we signed up for CFAF.  Jbird did indeed join the Swing Choir.  He will also be playing with their orchestra and be in an ensemble group.  This means two performances - one in the winter and one in the spring, maybe some costumes (for the Swing Choir), a formal dance in the spring for graduation, pictures for a yearbook type thing, solo and ensemble competition, and the best part to him - he gets to learn dance steps.

Which all sounds rather daunting to the chauffeur - ummmm.... I mean me. 

School Begins

I don't know about Jbird but I am exhausted!  I feel like I've run the marathon or something.  But we are started and notebooks are organized and we did every subject.  It's going to be a long day.

Mike and hubby went to a praise and worship gathering up in N.C. last night.  Hubby came home with a couple of CD's and a video.  I got to stay home with sonny boy, teaming rain, and the horn from .....  YES!  The horn on the car went off again.  Of course it had to go off in the pouring rain - in the dark.  This time I couldn't get the cables off the battery so I just had Jbird hit the horn as hard as he could.  It stopped.  I don't know if it will ever honk again, but ask me if I care!

I finished my two paperbacks by Anne George.  Thanks Pat for the head's up on the books.  I read some of the sections to hubby who laughed along with me.  I'll have to go into the main library and see if they have any more of her books.  Our little branch just had the two paperbacks.  I do so miss a good large library.

And Clarence - I feel so remiss for not getting back to you.  Thank you so much for your generous offer of sharing Jenny's toys with Sherman.  However, with shipping costs what they are - I wouldn't put you out like that.  Petsmart will see me grace their doors in the next few days. Meanwhile, Sherman continues his adventures.  He got away yesterday and pulled the "runaway dog" routine.  We chased him down the road only to find him over the fence in with the good neighbor's dogs and the goats.  Wonderful.

Last night all three animals decided that they needed to be up close and personal.  That means on the bed and reclining near or against a human.  Sherman protests if you move and he doesn't want to be shifted.  I woke up feeling like a train had run over my back - due to all the little animals and the mattress (which must go).  I was up at 3 and again at 6 something - then taught until after 2.  No wonder I'm tired.

Oh - and least I forget - we now have a vacuum cleaner with a chewed up cord.  And a sponge that is in a million little pieces.  And a piece of foam (Lord only knows what it went to) that now is strewn across my carpet.

And today the dogs decided to "play".  Sherman goes in for the low "chomp Tango in the foot move" and Tango jumps up and aims for the neck and ears.  Tango looks like a bear - growling and pawing the air and Sherman rolls over in karate type moves.  It's a hoot.  No one hurt.  Two happy dogs with big doggie smiles and doing the panting laugh routine.

Knitting?  Ummm.... tomorrow.

Squishy Day

Because we took most of yesterday off from school, today was a "double day".  I hate these days.  They seem to never end.  But we did get a bunch of work done.  We actually took the rough drafts of two of Jbird's poems and got them to the "finished" stage.  He typed them into the computer and we added a picture to illustrate.  They are now in a paper protector in his notebook.  Considering my son's aversion to poetry, this is a major accomplishment.  The next poetry assignment is constructing a historical setting poem.  This ought to be interesting to say the least.  He wanted to know if I was going to post one of his poems on my blog.  Ah - the publishing bug has already got him!  If you write it - the masses must read it - and love it - and respond.

I spend my day cooking, cleaning, and cognitively chewing on my on-line class.  There is no doubt about it - I've bitten off a wad this time.  Note to self:  one bite at a time - don't try stuffing the whole watermelon in your mouth!  This might not mean anything to you all, but I am a terrible procrastinator.  I am the person who has been known to read a 300 page text in one night for the exam the next day.  It doesn't help that Amazon hasn't gotten my text to me yet.  I guess that's a pretty legitimate excuse.

Fed Ex just arrived with THE CHECK!  Off to the bank I go.