Why am I doing this????

Today was my official/unofficial start to my homeschooling journey.I just thought I would share some reasons that I chose to homeschool.However after today I think it is more for me that it is for you!I need to remind myself regularly what I was thinking when I decided this was a good thing.

1. 1.To instill the values that we want our girls to know (ie. Knowledge and love of God, respect for other people and their belongings, appropriate manners, a healthy respect for work.)
2. To strengthen our family unit
3. To teach them according to their strengths and interests.
4. To limit encounters with harmful influences before they are ready.(bullying,peer pressure,cliques,drugs,sexual pressures)
5. For the joy of learning (mine as well as theirs)

OR

1. I drew the short straw that day
2. I was standing too close to someone smoking questionable substances
3. "They" made me do it!
4. It was a moment of frequently occurring insanity
5. I really enjoy spending twenty-four hours a day inside my little house with two little whirl winds that couldn't sit still for two seconds at a time,if their life depended on it

Those are your choices folks.You can decide for yourself which list is the real one.Only I know the truth!
They're coming to take me away hee hee.........

School Days

Aaaah "back to school", it conjures up so many fond memories.New pens and pencils,new binders,blank sheets of lined paper, new clothes, I even loved the "new" smell of everything.In that last week of summer I could hardly wait to begin school again.(mind you a few days later the excitement wore off and I wished I was back on vacation!)

So I'm sure your wondering what the heck this has to do with anything huh?Well my big girl will be turning 4 this year and is technically able to go to Pre-school.I can barely utter the word with out feeling a twinge of sadness.What happened to my little baby?Wasn't I just holding her in my arms yesterday? But .....here it comes,brace yourself......I have made the decision to Homeschool.Yes you read it correctly.Homeschool.

Keep in mind that this has not been a decision that we as a family have made lightly.In fact I have felt called to do this from the time just before "G" was born.It is not something I would have entertained years ago but l have been slowly getting disenchanted with the school system.It is nothing like when we went to school.Teachers have no contol over thier students.Drugs,sexuality,bullying start so much younger and honestly how does anyone learn anything when they are text messaging and chatting on thier cell phones all day.Please note this does not mean that I think all schools are bad or for that matter that all teachers are bad.I know some very good ones.They just have there hands tied.Nor do I think my decision is better than anyone elses.It is just,I feel that this is the best choice for my family.

I am not totally off my rocker.I actually have a few friends who have graciously sat with me and let me pick thier brains about homeschooling as they too are homeschooling families.My sister in law also intends do the same with her kids.(R is the same age as G and B is the same age as E) .So I already have a built in support team.The seasoned as well as the newbies to share our successes and failures with.I have researched and found the schoolboard I plan on using when she is "officially" school age.In fact its right here in town.And you have no idea how many activities out there are designed for homeschoolers.Its enough to boggle the mind.It amazes me to find so many strangers that do it as well.I had an amazing conversation with a lady that I was talking to in "Smitty's" a while back.My SIL and I also chatted with a lady at one of those pottery places (she too was a homeschooler)about seeing if it was possible for the kids to come and watch them use the kiln sometime.They are everywhere!

I guess I am just throwing this out into the cosmos.Because even though I know this is the right decision and I have researched it until my head hurts, I am still scared to death to begin.So just to "ease" myself in I am going to start with "G" this fall.Just so I can get a feel for how it works.No I don't plan on teaching her reading,'riting and 'rithmatic but I am going to start with some more structured stuff.Again not to worry, there will still be tons of painting,crafts,exploration and just plain silliness to be had but *Gasp* it will be disguised as FUN instead of school!
And G won't know that she is "learning" anything.LOL

Thanks for letting me share.

Is that it?

Is it my imagination or is summer getting shorter?It is now the middle of August and it feels like I should be turning up the heat,dragging out the warm sweaters and starting the transition to hibernate for another winter!Have you seen the leaves on some o the trees??!! They are already starting to turn color.Who ever is going on and on about global warming hasn't visited southern Alberta. The past couple years have been really lousy.

Autumn you are one of my favorite times of the year.But I'm NOT ready yet!Please stay away .......

First harvest

Its that time again.When all the hard work you did in spring begins to pay off.Now its time to enjoy the fruits (or in this case vegetables) of your labour.

Peas,carrots,beans.....Yummy!I could sit and eat fresh peas all day.Unfortunately my stomach probably would have a little something to say about that.
I planted a hybrid corn this year too. It was designed for our short growing season.Too bad our weather has been so lousy.The heat and sunshine are too little too late.So I doubt that I will get anything from them.Oh well there is always next year.

Fortunately the girls for the most part stay out of the garden and leave things to grow.I can't say I have the same luck with my raspberries though.If they are even slightly red they are devoured immediately.I never get a chance to have more than one or two at a time.I am also still having quite the challenge with my strawberries.I only have a few, which is understandable because I just planted them this year.But the ones I do get by the time they turn red, the birds have pecked holes in them.Somebody once told me that it is probably because they are thirsty.So maybe if there was a source of water for them.they might leave them alone.(insert a muffled laugh here)

Now don't get me wrong, I love harvesting the fresh fruit and vegetables,however I don't know about, you but I always have that little voice in the back of my mind ever so gently reminding me of the fact that fall is just around the corner......