Introductions Please!! Newbies and Regulars!

[Peek a Boo]

I noticed there was an introductions thread on the high school board, but wanted to start one here where most of us hang out.

 

Me:

I have 5 dc: 13yos, 10yos, 6yos, almost 4yog, and almost 2yos. We've homeschooled since oldest was in first grade. I'm a San Antonio gal, but after our 4.5y exile to Upstate NY we have returned to TX and settled south of Dallas. Took me about a year to thaw out!! i need the heat. Lizard Woman, dh calls me.....

 

I tend to be pretty eclectic. Found the WTM boards in NY when I was looking at SOTW. Been here ever since, slowly implementing ideas. We've added copywork, Greek, SOTW, and a few other things.

 

Things i've liked using: Apologia Science [Phys Sci for 8th right now], BJU Science 6, SOTW w/ the Activity Guide, Spell to Write and Read, Wordsmith Apprentice and WriteShop, First Language Lessons, Teaching Textbooks Pre Alg [oldest], Saxon math [2d ds], and some A Beka stuff for the younger grades [Writing With Phonics wkbk, 1st grade math, Handbook for Reading, and Oral Language Exercises], and Mountain Ocarinas.

 

My older three are very active in Scouts and a free TKD class. We are also involved in a few co-ops for drama, Gvt/ Citizenship, Lego Robotics, and Science. I'm on the Parks and Rec Board and we are good friends w/ the homeschool family down the street who's dad was recently elected mayor....so we get a lot of local happenings and political talk around here.

 

 

been married for 14 years today {{shhh! I don't think dh has remembered yet, lol --he got alled outta town this morning}}. dh is a pilot that flies charter jets and listens almsot non-stop to RightWingWackoTalkRadio. I'[m pretty conservative, but can't handle that yammering for hours on end, lol. We are Christian, but I don't hold to a specific denomination. dh was raised Lutheran so that's where we're attending now.

 

No, the avatar is not me, but i do have a Catwoman costume that I wore to our city's Halloween Party :-) it suits me puuurrrrrfectly.

http://redoakrecord.com/index.asp?Show=11/15/2007&Page=1

 

I decorate with books. When we moved from NY back to TX I asked the Mayflower guy to estimate the move w/ and w/o books. There was literally a TON of difference. I counted about 3,000 as I packed them up. I know we've added about 2,000 since then. I need more shelves.......dh is great at building shelves. Pic attached. It was full in 30 minutes.

 

 

i think that's about it....Your Turn!!

[Classical Michele]

A little shorter than Peek's :)

 

I have 3 dc: 8yod, 7yos, 6yos. Started visiting these boards about 5 years ago. I use an eclectic mix of curricula incorporating mostly Classical and Charlotte Mason.

 

I love to cook and bake from scratch, read, garden, knit, backpack, and be with my family and church family. We attend a Calvary Chapel church.

[orangeblossom]

I've been homeschooling for 5 years; two children - dd (12) and ds (10); found the boards after reading TWTM and checking out the website; we use Abeka, Saxon, TT, SOTW, Wordly Wise, and a few other odds and ends; dh teaches science and I do the rest; I run a decent sized homeschool group; have a pet Gecko; live in a cookie cutter house in suburbia in the Great Northwest and love it (although we could use a slightly larger garden); transplanted from Canada the US almost 9 years ago; have traveled to Europe on a couple of occasions and it's my ultimate dream to move there after retirement.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Book Crazy]

There are three in our family. Dh, myself and our son, Devon who is 7.5.

 

This is our 3rd yr homeschooling. We are more relaxed in our schooling than most, but try to follow a Charlotte Mason type of thing.

 

Sarah

[PixieKris]

Hello there,

 

I am Kris, and am homeschooling my only daughter (11) for at least the rest of this year. We have been homeschooling since first grade, and she is in 6th now. Before that, I was a Montessori elementary teacher and she was in preschool, and I used lots of resources from TWTM in my classroom. I became interested in homeschooling before finding TWTM - our Montessori Teacher Prep program recommended "How Children Fail" by Holt, and I fell in love. (Bet they regret that, now... Otherwise I'd probably still be teaching! :) ) I am working towards my masters in counseling, and will be doing a practicum next year, which is why we are looking at private schools.

 

My hubby was one of those computer guys, and now he manages those computer guys and does architecture for computer software, and that's all I know about that.

 

Favorite currciulum: SOTW and Real Science for Kids and LOTS AND LOTS of books. (I also decorate with books, Peek!) We've used nearly every writing program known to man, and ended up liking a combination (every other year) of Rod and Staff and IEW. We just tried Spelling Workout this year, and I wish I'd done it all the way through, but hey, if that's the biggest hole....

 

We love games and books (did I already mention books? :) ) Casi is taking three classes through an alt ed program this year, and loves it: Shakespeare, Do you know what you think you know (history and philosophy) and Debate/Mock Trial.

 

Happy Homeschooling!

[sdWTMer]

I have two sons 11 & almost 8.

 

Anyway, I have been coming here for quite some time. I don't remember when it all started.

I have had several different monikers, Julie in Katy, Julie in San Diego. I can't remember if there are others.

 

Anyway, I use a plethora of different things. We use Math U See, Latin for Children, SOTW, Rod & Staff and a lot of books too! Although, I'm definitely more relaxed.

 

The boys are active in Cub Scouts, although I do have one Webelo as well. The boys are also very active in chess @ our local San Diego Chess Club in Balboa Park.

 

And, I am a talk radio junkie! We've been married for 17+ years. We go to a non-institutional church of Christ congregation which we love! Oh, and another thing, I do love Vince Flynn novels as well as Tom Clancy. How could I forget knitting? I love to knit and am working on my first pair of fingerless gloves!

 

:)

[Old Dominion Heather]

I am a former teacher. I have three boys, 8, 5, and 2.

 

We live in Virginia (the Old Dominion) and my dh is a web designer/graphic artist.

 

Dh and I were both homeschooled from elementary school through highschool, so we are not so freaked out about ruining our kids and producing social deviants. (at least no more deviant than their parents!:cool:)

 

We have a dog who likes to run away.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I have 3 dc ages 13, 11, and 9 grades 8, 6, and 4 that I have home schooled for 8 years. We are originally from northern MN and moved to Antigua, Guatemala Nov. 2005 to work with Youth With A Mission. I stay home and help out when needed and I have the time, and dh is the outreach coordinator for our base here.

 

We tend to be very eclectic in our curriculum using a variety of things with a bent toward CM/Beechik. Our favorite things this year are: Apologia Biology, Lightning Lit. 8, Truthquest, LLATL and Trail Guide to World Geography.

 

My 3 dc speak far better Spanish than either my dh or I, but, I'm not too shabby!;) We are now working on reading in Spanish and writing.

 

I'm an absolute freak about Jane Austen and all things British. :D I love to read, cook, bake, and spend time with friends.

 

I love these boards! I don't have many friends here who home school so this is my support system. Very important!!!! My friends here tend to either have no children, or theirs are grown and gone.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing all the other intros!

[SnowWhite]

Hi, everyone!

 

I am a second generation homeschooler, and spent my twenties teaching school.

 

I currently teach a first grader and cuddle a 3 yo.

 

I don't subscribe to any educational philosophy (unless "try to make it fun" counts as a philosophy).

 

We're presently enjoying WinterPromise Animals and Their Worlds and WP LA1 and will move on to American Story 1 and WP LA2. I'm going to switch to BJU math for grade 2 (one of the lovely ladies here converted me, LOL).

 

I came to the WTM boards for the Sale/Swap boards and stayed for the sparkling conversation.

[momofkhm]

I'm married to a great guy who is interviewing for the second time in a week. He got an offer for a completely different job that he did not go looking for last night. I didn't even know we were looking for a new job for him! Soon we'll be making the pros and cons list!

 

I have 3 kids - K is 13 and 7th grade. H is 10 and 5th grade. M is 7 and 2nd grade. We use TOG for history, R&S for spelling and grammar. The girls (K and H) use Saxon for math. M uses Singapore for math.

 

We belong to a co-op which starts again in a few weeks. All of us got our first choice classes. Ours sounds different than most. It's also huge! 150 moms! The moms have a choice of 10 different classes or personal time. The kids get to pick from 6 or 7 classes for each of 2 hours. Moms also have to do a service hour. Wonder what I'll get this time. I've been with the infants and 3 yo. I've also been a floater (they put me where they need me each day). This year I asked to help with middle/high kids first choice. We'll see...

 

H and M are playing basketball now. All three will play soccer in the spring and I'll coach the girls.

 

We are very active at our church. Dh runs the sound board and I'm the Sunday school supervisor. Other things as they come up as well.

[Amy from WT]

OK, this is fun!

 

I'm Amy, and I've been married to Glen for (gulp) almost 20 wonderful years. We have three great kids - dd 17, ds 13, dd 10, and a Chinese Crested dog who we are desperately trying to train not to bite people (no she is not hairless, and yes, we have actually hired a dog-whisperer type of trainer!). But that's another whole story......

 

I discovered classical schooling when I joined a classical co-op 7 years ago, and haven't turned back since. I LOVE Latin, took it in HS (didn't love it then actually!), and have been teaching it for 7 years.

 

We live in NJ - for now. My hubby is a brilliant musician and has worked in both the academic field and the church music field. He is currently seeking employment, and we expect to be moving - somewhere? - at the end of this school year. (Please pray that he finds something soon!) I am a musician as well and teach piano and flute.

 

My favorite curricula: Sonlight, SOTW, MUS, Latin Prep, a soon-to-be-published Latin curriculum called "Great Latin Adventures", GWG, Apologia, Art of Argument, and Building Thinking Skills.

 

My hobbies: Reading! Digital scrapbooking, photography, embroidery, pet training (!) and writing/publishing.

 

I like to think that my avatar resembles me as a little girl....I am NOT brave enough to put one up of me now!!! At least, not yet!!!

 

I can't wait to meet everybody else!

[Allen Academy]

I am pretty new to these boards - we just decided to homeschool DD (4) this past spring, and I have been lurking on here ever since. In the last month or so, I have started posting. Once in a while.

 

I am also a former teacher/librarian. I never intended to homeschool, but my DH is in the military and we are moving around so much that I thought it would be a great way to provide some stability for her... we will have moved 5 times before she is five years old.

 

Currently we are living in Oklahoma City (for 6 months) and sometime between April and July, we will be moving to Okinawa, Japan.

 

We only have one child now, but are hoping for more someday...

[Mama Lynx]

I'm Stephanie. I used to post as Stephanie not in TX. I've actually met Peek, IRL, because I used to be in TX, see. But now I'm not. ;-)

 

We currently live in Michigan, but expect to move again very soon. Where? Who knows? Whee!! It's such an exciting life I live!

 

I've been married for 16 years this summer, and I homeschool our four boys, ages in the .sig below. We've always homeschooled. I have a degree in lit with minors in medieval studies and psychology. I have worked in publishing and trained to be a teacher, but chickened out at the student teaching bit.

 

I love rock and roll, science fiction, British comedy (British anything, really - comedy, history, men), and ancient and medieval history. I, too, decorate in books, if you call piles "decorating." I am educating myself in Latin, classical literature/history/philosophy, and Great Books.

 

I can't remember when I first read WTM, or came to the boards. Forever ago.

 

We do a modified LCC type of school, still sticking to some WTM, and some more organic interest-led learning thrown in. My boys are very active in Scouts, and currently I'm a Den Leader and DH is the Cubmaster.

 

And apparently, I feel loquacious today. :D

[kat19]

Hi!

This is our 6th year homeschooling.

I have 2 dc right now, in a few months will be adding another :D

I have been married for almost 13 years(in March)~time flies

 

For school we use a bit of this, a bit of that. But that will change in the fall when we switch to My Father's World~which I'm hoping will make my life easier :)

 

I love to read, scrapbook(even though it seems like there is never time for it) and be online(when I can) :D

 

Nice to meet you all :)

[JudoMom]

I've got 5 boys, ages 8, 7, 5, 4onMonday, and 2. I knew I wanted to HS before we had kids, but I'm not quite sure when or how I decided that. I read TWTM in 1999/2000, when my oldest was a baby, and I liked it. We've almost found our groove, and now are more of Latin Centered, but with TWTM History cycles. Right now I have a 3rd, 2nd, K, PreKOnDemand, and a StopStealingCerealFromThePantry-er.

 

Um, we like Judo (or at least I do and have drug my family along with me). My 8 & 7 year olds have been doing it for about 2.5 years and will test for their orange belts next month. I've been doing it for about 1.5 years, and will test for my green next month. Ds5 has been doing it off and on for the last 1.5 years (he has arthritis), and is a yellow belt (I think he's testing for his next level of yellow next month). I've finally convinced dh to start next month (I think). Ds4onMonday got his gi last night and is thrilled to start next week. The baby just chases his brothers around yelling Hajime! (that means start in Japanese) and trying to tackle them.

 

We're down to 2 American Eskimo dogs as pets. At 1 point we had a hamster, a guinea pig, 2 birds, and a fish.

 

I used to be known as threelops. I like to read, but mostly non-fiction. I've never read nor seen Pride & Prejudice, but am considering reading it. I don't get to read as much as I'd like, though, because it's either too noisy (go figure) or I'm too tired.

[Daisy]

I go by the name of Daisy because I love daisies. My real name is Daphyne. I've been married to Jon for 13 years. We have 2 children; DD8yo and DS6yo. Having children was a long, hard road for us or we would have more right now.

 

I was born and raised on the East Coast (NJ & AL) and went to college out in WA state where I met my husband. I received a degree in theology and Dh has a Master's in Education and School Counseling. We moved to CA for work and were not happy about it. Dh is currently a first grade public school teacher.

 

Dh wanted me to homeschool from the beginning for many reasons (religious, uh, he sees what the local ps is like, etc.) but I kept fighting it. I just didn't think I had the patience. I'm about as type A as they come. Finally, after a horrible first grade public school experience, I bit the bullet and brought DD home. Now I cannot imagine why I ever fought it. We LOVE homeschooling. Pretty much all my friends and church family think I'm nuts for homeschooling but Dh's and my family think it is wonderful (so we have some support even though it is 1,000-3,000 miles away).

 

I had a traditional/classical education in private school and so I gravitate towards that with my children. I'd label myself as eclectic though. I use MFW and R&S.

[melissel]

Great idea!

 

I'm Melissa, living in NJ (formerly posting as Melissa in NJ). I've been married to my DH for seven years, and I work from home as a research editor. I'm currently HSing Bella (5), and hope to HS Julie (2) as well. This is our first year HSing (though I've been collecting resources and using guerrilla tactics to convert my DH for over three years now :p). In the beginning of January, we switched from WP Animals and Their Worlds (which was not working for us), to using FIAR as our core, Galloping the Globe to give us a light structure for geography, Right Start Level A for math, and (in theory) WP The World Around Us for science. FIAR is going well, though Bella still thinks it's odd that we read the same book repeatedly. And I simply cannot believe how much she's enjoying the geography work. I recommend GTG to everyone now :D

 

I was sent to these boards by my wanna-be-HSer, in-reality-afterschooler ack25 *waving hi* Even though she's unable to HS in real life, she taught me almost everything I know about it. The boards have saved our HSing relationship several times--I don't know what I'd do without them now!

[Just a Jen in Mississippi]

Hi all,

I've been a Well Trained Minder since about 2000 when a friend from church recommended the book to me. After reading it, I was sold that these were the guidelines I was looking for to give my children a great education. Even though I have a teaching degree (student taught but never officially taught because I had my first child and the rest is history!) , I was still so lost the first year until I found Susan Wise Bauer. I can remember being so excited that the same friend that recommended the book to me kindly reminded me that the WTM wasn't the Bible and that I could use other things! The first year or two, I stuck as closely as possible to the WTM schedule for my own comfort, but each year since, I've tweaked and changed things as needed. I now have a 7th, 4th, 1st grader (all girls) and a three year old boy and am in my 8th official year of homeschooling. I've been an occasional poster (more regular in the spring as I'm planning my new school year), but I read fairly regularly. I can't tell you how much I've gained from the Hive Mind over the years.

 

But a little more about me personally......I married at age 18 to my high school sweetheart and this July, we will celebrate 17 years together (20 counting our dating years!). I love art and paint in my spare time. I've even sold a few and wished I had more time to devote to it, but family comes first. I came up with a school schedule this year where we started a few weeks early and go for 6 weeks and take a week off. This has allowed me more creative time and time to recharge. I've loved it and have felt no burn-out this year. We will still finish in May and have a decent summer.

 

I've always posted under Jen in MS but after someone else started using the name, I added my blog name to it (Jen in MS of This is the Day blog)......just so you know who I am! LOL I no longer keep up with my blog though, so I didn't chose that as my name on here.

 

Well, I think that about covers the basics (curriculum aside:)).

Have a great day!

Jennifer

[East Coast Sue]

Hello all-

 

I have a dd6, dd4, and ds2. I decided to home school (before my kids were even born) when I was completing my master's degree which required one semester of student teaching.

 

I have enjoyed learning from all of you by mostly lurking on these boards for a couple of years. My dd6 is very advanced and she is both a joy and a challenge to teach. My dd4 is a "math kid" and she also has a significant speech/auditory processing disorder. My ds2 is a wonderfully cuddly little boy and also full of spunk!

 

 

We just moved north of San Antonio from Kansas and I am missing Kansas terribly. My husband travels a lot more than we ever expected with his new job and it is not what we want. Ok, no more complaining- b/c believe me I could go on, and on....

 

Susan

[Michelle T]

I actually don't follow TWTM, but I like the boards! Well, I am going to start using SOTW next month, does that count?

 

I've always posted as Michelle T. Live in Southern Cali with DH of 18 years, and my one child, DS who is 11.5.

 

Been homeschooling since DS's sixth birthday. We started because of his severe learning issues, he just needs a lot more than the PS could ever give.

 

I use a mix of whatever works for DS. Currently doing our own thing for science and history, special ed math, a mix of language arts. I'm always searching for some area of curriculum that will help DS actually learn.

 

I love gardening, especially roses, and cats. I'm Jewish, DH is Christian. I'm way too addicted to message boards, and love to read.

Michelle T

[Rhonda@LivingWater]

I'm Rhonda and I've been married for over 19 years. Our dc are a 10 yo dd, 8 yo ds, and a 6 yo dd. We have been homeschooling from the beginning. Dh first brought up homeschooling when oldest was 3 months old, so I had a little time to get use to it and do a little research. :)

One of the first books he picked out was TWTM and I refer to it often (but I still have the 1st edition;))

We are a little Classical/CM/Beechick all rolled into one so I guess that actually makes us eclectic.

I try to fit curricula to each of my dc's learning styles and modalities which is interesting to me as a teacher!

These boards are so helpful and encouraging and I have been "visiting" for about 3 years now.

It is great to actually get to know one another and I hope in a few days or so to actually take the time to get my photo in my avatar.

[Adrianne]

My hubby and I have been married for 10 years (in feb) and we have 2 ds 9 and 5 and one on the way due in August. We have homeschooled since the beginning. I pretty much handle all the educational work and dh handles the practical side of life. (more on that later).

 

We live on a 24.9 acre farm in PA and we love it! Right now we have 21 chickens, 1 dog, 1 barn cat, and a pond full of yummy fish. We grow all of our own veggies as organically as we can, in the spring/summer so I spend a lot of time, weeding, freezing, and canning. Right now my dh is building new doors for our spring house (where our water comes from) with help :eek: from the boys. (the practical side of life). We are hoping to plant blueberry bushes in the spring as our new addition.

 

I knew the WTM was for me when I read it back in 2001 and have never turned back. My favorites are: SOTW, FLL, Latin primer, Writing Strands and OPGTR.

 

I am a biologist/chemist by training so science is my favorite subject and I love to do experiments every chance I get. I also love to teach any subject to children and hope to spend the rest of my life teaching in some capacity. When not teaching I enjoy reading, gardening, and cooking. I gave my life to the Lord about three years ago and have enjoyed following His path ever since. Praise be to God!

 

We belong to a wonderful but simple Christian co-op that keeps us rather busy. My ds9 enjoys reading, video games, drawing, drama, and eating pizza. ds 5 enjoys experiments of any sort, video games, hot dogs and he is our resident weapons expert.

 

My dh loves fixing things, hiking, hockey, and history related things.

 

It is nice to meet everyone!

 

Adrianne

[Diana in OR]

I've been "here" for 5 or 6 years. My oldest started ps high school this year, and I have a 6th grader at home. I live in Oregon, which I think is the greatest place in the world to live .

 

I am seriously considering ps for my younger ds next year. As a result, I am trying to cram as much stuff as possible into his adolescent brain over the next several months, lol. :eek: I'm a curriculum junkie, and I wouldn't even try to list the different resources I've used over the past 10 years I've been doing this. It just wouldn't be fair to the ones I'd almost certainly leave out :)

 

I am running for my local city council in the May primary. It is a HUGE learning curve for me, but I love it. I do okay with the written word, and don't mind speaking in front of groups, but I'm still working on some social anxiety at being able to respond to impromptu questions with something other than "uh..." and also learning how to make small talk (I really dislike it, but it's part of the process). I'm also trying to cobble together a wardrobe that extends beyond sweats and Birkenstocks. My 1980s teacher outfits just won't cut it. I have to be "on" whenever I'm out in public now, even if I'm just picking up ds from school or at the grocery store. This is totally my thing, and hope someday after my dc are grown, to serve in my state's legislature or Congress.

[sassenach]

We have been a homeschool fam for a year and a half now. We took dd out of ps after her 3rd grade year. I'm now hsing dd for 5th and ds for K. DD is using SL, MUS, Abeka and a few other odds and ends. DS is using MFW.

 

DH and I have been married for 10 years (high school sweethearts) . We both grew up in SoCal. We lived in New Orleans for a year, Orlando for 7, and have just recently moved back to Northern Cali. We're neck deep in transition at the moment, and not even in a permanent home yet.

 

Dh is a Youth Pastor, which makes life very interesting at times. I have pretty much always been a sahm. We have 2 other kiddos- our 7yo Tyler, who is severly disabled, and a 3yo dd.

[Riverfront Headmistress]

Mom of all girls. Busily home schooling 10 year old and 7 year old girls.

 

엄마 to HeeWon from South Korean - aiti to Noora from Finland.

[Marie in Oh]

Our oldest is in 4th grade and the only boy. We've always homeschooled and always known we'd homeschool.

[Emmy]

I've been a lurker for a long while on the old boards and am now posting some since changing over to the new boards.

 

My name is Emmy and I've been married to my dh Scott for 13 years. We have 4 boys that are 7, 5, 4, and 18 months. This is our 2nd year homeschooling. My sig line lists what we are using....I'm not sure I am married to a specific philosophy yet but I really do like the WTM and am following it's directives more and more in my curriculum choices. I'm finding that our learning style and choices are ever evolving!

[sleepy]

I love your Dr. Who avatar!

[Lorna in the boonies]

My oldest two started out in public school, and I pulled them out after 1st and 5th grades.

 

I live in West Texas, but I'm no longer 'in the boonies'. I was in the boonies for 12 years while dh pastored, well, a church in the boonies! In 2005 we moved an hour north in order to plant a new church. In my wildest dreams I never imagined we would be doing the church planting thing -- but when God calls one to pastor in a certain town and there's no church there, that changes things. It's been a wild ride, but I'm enjoying it.

 

Dh and I have been married for nearly 18 years and have three children, ages 6, 11, and so-close-to-15-it's-killing-her-to-say-she's-14. (We also lost a newborn daughter in 1999.) I use a variety of things -- BJU, Winter Promise, Rod & Staff, Math-U-See -- it just depends on which thing works best for which kid.

 

Before I had kids, I was a special education teacher. My oldest was born in February and I finished out that school year, but I've been a SAHM ever since.

 

I've lurked here since the fall of 2003, I think, which is when I first seriously considered pulling my kids out of ps (I finally pulled them out at the end of that year) -- but I've never posted much. I'm hoping that will change now!

[Ellie]

We started hsing in 1982, when there were only two kinds of people: homeschoolers and not-homeschoolers. It was many years before hsers found specific niches for themselves and gave those niches names:)

 

Mr. Ellie and I have been married forever (ok, since 1974). Our two dds are all grown up, no granddc yet.

 

I've been a support group leader, newsletter editor, convention coordinator and workshop presenter, and umbrella school owner/administrator...things I never imagined I would do when I was growing up, lol.

 

And I've met Peek A Boo and Cindyg, so they can vouch for me:D

[sleepy]

I used to post as "erinjd"

 

I homeschool my 3 oldest (13, 11, and 9) while chasing my youngest (2 yo).

Math and Latin are on our "must do" list every day. I like to think of us as classical homeschoolers with unschooling tendencies.

[Faline]

I think being a SAHM rocks! There is nothing I would rather be doing. We have 4 great kids and have been homeschooling since birth (ha ha), officially for 5 years.

 

We have used/are using Sonlight, Truthquest, R.E.A.L. Science, R&S, CLE and a collection of other things. Bits and pieces of whatever works! My favorite approach is Charlotte Mason, but I seem to have a difficult time putting that into a reality here...maybe that is another post for another time.

 

I love crafting. Knitting and sewing are my favorites at the moment but I also crochet, cook/bake, garden, read, scrapbook etc etc!

 

I am a crunchy kind of gal and like to try to live simply. We might even be called old-fashioned! I make my own soap, butter and bread.

 

We love country life and wouldn't have it any other way. I have a wonderful dh and I feel soo blessed...

[Jenny in Atl]

I've been around for about six years now, on and off (homeschooling that long too). Married to my better half for 17 years, a couple since 1983 :eek:

We have two girls, Mackenzie 12 and Fiona 7. Numerous pets from a Golden to odd looking aquatic frogs.

 

 

DD 12 went to a small private school for three years but we ran out of money and I fell out of love with the school on the whole. From the start of this adventure, I have always used WTM mixed with a few other resources, and I'm always looking for new ideas and suggestions.

 

Cheers!

[Tonia]

I read the WTM when dd was a baby, found the boards and I've been lurking since then - she's now four. Would love to have another baby, but we'll see. It took me five years to get pregnant with our dd.

 

I'm an American living in Quebec with my Canadian dh and dd. I'm slowly learning french, and trying to keep up with dd (I have this crazy fear that she will learn to sass me in french and I will have NO idea what she is saying! :p )

 

God willing, we will homeschool all the way through high school.

[Mamagistra]

I'm the poster formerly known as Debra in TX. Dee-aitch and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage this fall. We have always home schooled our crew (dds 10, almost 9, and 7 mos., ds4). The extended menagerie includes a great dane, a pug, one cat, two guinea pigs, a rabbit, and two parakeets inside...twin border collies and 12 chickens outside.

 

Once upon a time, I was introduced to the idea of home schooling by a snippy, fake-tanned ballet mom who, upon observing my interaction with 2yo dd, mock-scribbled on an invisible notepad and declared. "You look like one of those home school types!" I looked up "home school" that very day and decided that indeed I was one of those "types". ;) How will I ever thank her?!

 

What began with WTM here has taken a LCC bent, and both books are close at hand to guide and refresh me, as is this site. I met one of my best friends via these boards (howdy, SueTX!) and I am ever-so grateful that it is here for those of us who enjoy the interwebs.

 

In my spare time, I read as much as I can, cook lots of yummy things, eat them, and repeat. :D I enjoy making cards and gifts by hand, and I paint a mural or a funky mailbox once in a while.

 

I love Jesus, nachos, Great Britain, Rembrandt, crosswords, Indian food, poetry, birds, coffee, and the smell of old books. I loathe mean people, NASCAR, Mountain Dew, drug commercials, apostrophe misuse, Viacom, canned beets, pants with words on the seat, and Wal-Mart :).

 

When I grow up, I want to draw beautiful portraits of children, eat chocolate cake every day, and laugh even more than I do at present.

[NancyinCA]

I have mostly lurked on this board for the past 4-5 years (wow!). I have homeschooled for seven years, since my oldest was in kindergarten. Currently I am homeschooling my oldest three and cuddling the newest, littlest guy every chance I can get.

 

I have been married since 1993 to my sweet husband. He is pastor to young adults and families at our church. We love serving here at our church and hope to retire from it (many years from now!).

 

I work part time for a local charter school doing what I think is the best job in the world-coaching and helping other homeschooling families who are enrolled in the charter. I love homeschooling, and I love helping other families succeed.

 

Recently, we moved into a home we bought (yay-after renting for many years), so I am in the throws of setting up house. Just this past weekend, we trekked to IKEA to purchase Billy bookshelves for our new library! woo-hoo!

[MomofSeven]

I've got 5 dc and one due in the next three weeks.

9 yo dd, 7 yo ds, 5 yo ds, 4 yo dd, 2 yo dd, and one in utero.

 

I've been homeschooling since oldest was 5. My dh is self-employed and owns a marketing website company.

 

As a family we enjoy many church activities...Upward Sports, Pioneer club, and Christian Dance.

 

I love to read biographies and historical fiction. I love decorating magazine and love to apply those ideas to my own house (but do it soo much cheaper).

 

I'm new at gardening and sewing but have managed both well so far.

 

My favorite past time is sitting quietly with my husband and talking.

 

I speak fluent French.

[JudoMom]

I loathe .... NASCAR, Mountain Dew.....

 

THUD :eek:

[Wendy In KS]

Wendy In KS

 

I am a 28 year old mother of five wonderfully unique, at times incredibly annoying, but overall prett amazing kids aged almost 10, almost 8, 5 1/2, 3 (this Sat!!), and 13mos. I am married to my highschool sweetheart- we've been together 12 years and married almost 9.

 

I had our oldest child about three months before graduating high school, I've dabbled in college classes- have an Associate's Degree. We've always homeschooled. Through that time I've worked various part-time jobs in retail or as a waitress. I'm currently between jobs.

 

My husband finished his degree and has been in his current job for a year and half- and received two promotions in that time- yes, I'm proud :D. He has a very corporate job.

 

We live in a suburb of Kansas City in a pretty typical suburban neighborhood. We both have very close (both geograpgically and involvement-wise) family. Which is a blessing and a curse :D

 

We are fairly "normal" people. We have a church we've been members of forever and attend when we don't sleep in. We workout at the YMCA but aren't health nuts. We try to eat healthy foods but we also enjoy junk foods. We tend to lean more towards the conservative side of things, but overall are very tolerant, open people.

[Closeacademy]

I don't post much on the general board but mostly hang out on the K-8 curriculum board. I have 2 dds--Kindergarten and 2nd.

 

We use an eclectic mix of classical (progynasmata & Latin), Charlotte Mason (short intense lessons, living books, and copywork), Waldorf (art, music, visual keys and math enrichment), Montessori (hands-on) and what I call the Singapore influence (math and science).

 

I am a die-hard fan of Spell to Write and Read and Singapore Math. I am also starting a business mentoring other moms and helping people to organize their time, space and lesson plans.

[Jill- OK]

Well, I 'found' The Well Trained Mind just after I finished my oldest's Kindergarten year. I knew I wanted to teach history chronologically, and when I came across an interview with SWB where she talked about WTM and mentioned that chronological history study was something her strain of classical education employed, my interest was piqued.

 

So, I borrowed it from the library, and realized that some of my other goals were similar to what one would accomplish with classical education, and so, I searched out the forums.

 

Oldest will start high school next year, and I can truly say that this group has been a great resource, all these years.

 

We don't fit a nice, neat, classical mode (we're pretty solidly in the middle between 'delight led' and 'mother enforced'), but we definitely lean more towards classical, the further we get down the road. (Meaning, loosey-goosey during elementary years, growing incrementally more rigorous as we creep towards high school).

 

I formally homeschool four of my five, currently (littlest guy is three), and work parttime from home as a freelance copywriter. It's...interesting. :o)

[Diann]

Hi, I'm Diann. I've been reading these boards for quite a while, but only post occasionally. I have 4 boys, 18, 16, 14, and (almost) 12. I started homeschooling the oldest when he was in fourth grade. Prior to that the boys all went to a Montessori school. Over the years I've used different curricula including Calvert, Oak Meadow, Lightning Literature, Analytical Grammar, Write Shop, and many different texts.

 

My dh and I are originally from Indiana, but now reside in the South. We will celebrate our 25th anniversary in August. :) We've known each other a long time since we grew up 3 houses away from each other.

 

I'm enjoying reading everyone's intro.

 

Diann

[Just Me]

Hi All,

 

I am a Homeschooling mom of three - a 12 yr. ds, 11 yr. dd, and an 8yr. ds. We have been at it for 6 years now!!

 

I use a pretty eclectic mix for schooling. My oldest works through an online academy, which I have loved so far. For the other two, I pick and choose what seems to work best for us.

 

I am married to a Seminary student, who will start his last semester on Thursday. He also works full-time at our church as the Minister of Middle School and Christian Life.

 

I work part-time at the church as the assistant to the Music Minister.

 

I love to read, shop, cook, and budget our money.

 

We have two dogs (Bailey, a border collie and Fibi, a teacup poodle/Jack Russell mix), one cat (Joy), two birds (Daisy and Killer) and three fish with no name.

 

We live in central North Carolina, very near Raleigh.

 

I think that's it!! :D

[Beth in SW WA]

Hi gang,

After 6 years of private Christian school, we brought our kids home this year for a hybrid form of classical education. I read SWB's book over the summer and cried myself to sleep because I felt I had short-changed my kids by giving them a mediocre education at what I thought was an excellent school. They were not challenged -- but worst of all, they were not inspired to learn or grow.

 

We have hired a Latin tutor and Writing tutor. The rest we hammer out at home together. The kids work fairly independently. I am a strong proponent of self-education, for many practical reasons.

 

We also have 2 little girls we adopted from China who will most likely attend a local classical school which is also a homeschool co-op. Our 4-year-old reads at about the 4th grade level -- so I'm not sure what shape or form her education will look like.

 

I feel so blessed to read the posts here. I told my husband that the smartest women I know are on TWTM boards.

 

Thank you, SWB, for all you have done to help us in our journeys....

[Mamagistra]

THUD :eek:

 

Aw, Judolops...I'm sorry. :( I like...um...the Olympics...and, and...7Up? Does that help? :D

[Mary H]

I have been homeschoooling since the 1997-1998 schoolyear. My ds who graduated at 16 was the one who was homechooled at this time. We homeschooled our 24 year old son for the high school years. I now homeschool our 11 and 9 year old ds's. We use, Abeka, BJU (math) and Easy Grammar. I have been married to my dh for 12 1/2 years. My dh is the pastor of our small (soon to be growing) church. I enjoy dancing,signing, and worshiping the Lord in the arts. I love to come here and read about everything that everybody is saying. I am kind of shy, so that is why I don't post very much. :o I am reading the book TWTM now. I am planning on using this in my next year. I have been coming here for about

3 months. I guess thats all for now.

God Bless!!

 

Mary H (Mary in AZ on other boards)

[percytruffle]

Hi everyone,

 

I've been reading and posting on the wtm boards for many years. I am mostly at the hs board, but enjoy hanging out at the general board. You all are great company!

 

We have two dc.

 

Our dd, 19, graduated last year and is at the local community college pursuing a degree in Biology. She is looking to transfer to a four year Christian college this fall or next spring. She has been very successful so far. Last year she was inducted into the national honor society of two year colleges. She is a paid bio and chem tutor at the cc. Her senior year of hs was split between cc courses and a few courses at home. Apologia science prepared her well! Her current interests are genetics and bio-psychology.

 

Our ds, 17, is a junior this year. Next year he will follow his sister's footsteps into the community college part-time. His anticipated major is still open and includes history and business as options.

 

I am a NY state certified art teacher and a practicing artist as well as being a homeschool mom. I also herd cats on the side.;)

 

My dh is an optics engineer and travels to many exotic places. Sometimes we are able to accompany him.

 

We are a fun bunch who like dry humor, a good cup of tea, and a lap full of furry felines.

[Liz CA]

Well, here is another stellar resume:

 

We've homeschooled since 6th grade - now in 11th grade with a variety of material, however trying to stick fairly close to the recommendations in the original WTM.

I was cruising around the WTM website for years before I ever ventured onto a board and it was out of sheer panic when ds entered High School that I tentatively clicked on a board.

 

Started posting on HS board for another year before finding that it's okay to post on General Board as well - I think it used to be called "K-8 General" and I didn't dare post or read because we were not in 8th grade anymore. One day, I clicked on the wrong board and found a happy bunch of homeschoolers exchanging recipes and because I love to cook, bake and eat, I stayed for a while.

Oh, that was about a little over a year ago...

 

Ds 16 yo, plays disc golf in tournaments with Dad, rides horses, loves to raise chickens and sleeps with his dog. Need I say more? Oh, and he thinks Agriculture or Zoology may be his bent.

[Liz CA]

I used to post as "erinjd"

 

I homeschool my 3 oldest (13, 11, and 9) while chasing my youngest (2 yo).

Math and Latin are on our "must do" list every day. I like to think of us as classical homeschoolers with unschooling tendencies.

 

...you as erinjd, glad you mentioned your "other" identity! :D

[Beth in OH]

Hi everyone--

 

I began visiting this board daily when we began hs'ing in 1999. That was the year we brought home our oldest dd (then a rising 5tn grader). She's now a senior, and throughout high school has taken 2-3 courses per day at the local ps, used online courses, and has added university courses this year. She has been accepted at three colleges and is waiting to hear from a fourth.

 

My middle dd is a 15 yo sophomore and does a combination of hs and online school. She is very busy with music (violin), and we drive many hours per week for lessons and rehearsals.

 

My youngest dd is a 12 yo 7th grader and just began attending a two day/wk school. She takes lit., grammar, science, Christ in the classics, history and music appreciation there. Latin, math, and composition are still at home. She is also very involved in music (flute), and we do a lot of driving for her as well.

 

Beth