Introductions Please!! Newbies and Regulars!

[Dawn E]

Wow! This is a long thread!

 

I'm 34, have been married to my dh for 8 yrs now, and we have two children: dd 5yo (almost 6) and ds 7mos. I have been lurking around the boards for years even though this is our first official year of homeschooling. I don't remember how I came upon the book, WTM, but I don't think my oldest was much more than one when I first read it. :)

 

I am very grateful to this community that has helped me to get over my initial fear of starting this homeschool journey (esp. with a new baby in tow). We are absolutely loving it!!!

 

A mom in my homeschool group asked what we were using. When I listed off our wide variety of materials she said, "Who helped you find all that?" Who? Well my WTM friends, that's who! :)

[BarbaraL in OK]

I'm Barbara and I live in Oklahoma :) I married my grad-school sweetheart 15 years ago, and we have two sons, ages 12 and nearly 8. I've been on & off the WTM boards ever since I first had my "Aha!" moment about homeschooling, January 2001, when our oldest was in public school pre-K and our youngest wasn't quite a year old.

 

I afterschooled our oldest for several years, doing a Montessori-Classical kind of mix. In third grade, though, I gave up the structured afterschooling because his homework was putting the serious squeeze on the time we could call our own. Intentional exploration & learning is my tendency anyway, so on we went.

 

We stuck with our local neighborhood public elementary, reasonably happy, until... we weren't any more. Two weeks into a crummy start for our youngest in kindergarten, we withdrew him to start homeschooling in earnest. A year later our older son came home as well, which was a much bigger necessity and such a relief for the whole family (peer issues!).

 

This is our second full year homeschooling our boys, after plenty of wishing and hoping and praying and waiting and reading and thinking and etc., for years. Now that we've actually been doing the whole homeschooling thing, I LOVE it! I have found my way to the LCC approach with a four-year world history cycle a la WTM.

 

We live in an outlying suburban neighborhood of our little city of 100,000, and my husband works a couple of miles from home. We met in grad school in meteorology, and he is the computing coordinator for a big meteorology program at a state university. Our families are all on the west coast (I grew up in Washington) and in Ohio -- so we're making our own way as we put down roots here in Oklahoma.

 

I sometimes call myself a postmodern homemaker -- or maybe a suburban homesteader? My favorite pastimes are: being frugal, working on sustainable living, knitting, baking, cooking, gardening, reading (nonfiction), enjoying time with my family and with my friends, leading my Godly Play Sunday school class of 4 & 5 year olds, playing the piano, and participating in some favorite online communities.

 

I have two blogs, both of which need tending, and a Web site for parents, Faith at Home. I do a little Web design, but that has been set aside in these first years of homeschooling. Someday I would love to do graduate study in church history or late medieval women's lives. Or maybe not.

 

I'll stop talking now!

[Needleroozer]

My name is LB, and I have lived in south Seattle in a 1943 Cape Cod style farmhouse on 1/2 acre for five years now, with the Papa Dude with whom I have been a partner for 17 yrs in May; the Fine Young Man, aka the Boy, 15 3/4, who is enrolled part-time at the local high school and is very skilled at speech and debate; Piano Girl, who is 13 tomorrow, who is aiming at being a professional pianist; 3 toddler cats named Catkin, Sparrowhawk, and Sassy/Cuddlepuff; and 4 chickens named Annabelle, Lucy, Goldie, and Chickyboo.

 

I found the boards about 9 years ago, I think. Been here a long time. We have mostly used CM/WTM methods. For curriculum this year, we are using Holt Biology, Teaching Co. courses, History Odyssey, CW, Bravewriter online classes, Latin Book One, MathUSee, WEM for literature, etc.

 

The kids are mostly schooling themselves these days, which I love. I spend my days supporting the Boy, teaching the Girl, trying to be a better housekeeper (not), and meal-maker, and then I head down to my Happy Place, my basement studio. I dabble in mixed media textile work: collage, paper-making, art-quilting, and painting. I am concurrently teaching myself about acrylics, watercolor, and oil paintsticks.

 

I love babies, two-year olds, my neighbor-dogs, Vitamin water, Indian food, fish, fish, and more fish (- my fave way to eat protein), music of all kinds, Dancing With the Stars (It is all Miz Booshay's fault), and driving with the windows down even in the middle of winter.

[theodwyn]

I've been lurking and occasionally posting for a few years now.

I grew up in NH but here I am in a place I never imagined I'd be. My dh is a high school physics teacher and we've been married 15 1/2 years. We have 2 children--our ds is almost 14 and our dd is 12.

We use a variety of resources for homeschooling and this is our 7th year of home schooling.

I am an RN and work part-time at a pediatrician's office.

I like to read, bake, sew, play around with my Canon Digital Rebel XTi, camp/hike.

Our family plays a lot of board games and own over 200 I think. We also decorate with books-- the formal dining room is our library with shelves sticking out into the middle of the room making room for nine large cases.

I glean a lot of useful information from here but don't post unless I really think I have something to say.

My board name is from LOTR. My children's middle names are Eomer and Eowyn and Theodwyn is their mother.

My real name is Wendy.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I *think* I started visiting these boards in 2001.

 

I am 40 years old. Married to my dh since 1990. We live in almost Northern VA - just south of where dh and I grew up. I did the career thing for the first five years of our marriage. Then we had the boys and I embraced mommyhood and never looked back. My dh is my best friend and a wonderful husband (25 days a month)....My mom lives fairly close by and she blesses me with her understanding and confidence daily. My best girlfriend is a childhood friend who lives down the road. I don't have loads of friends, but I seem to like it that way. I really like my alone time.

 

I found WTM at the library way back and loved the idea of chronological

history. After many attempts at classical, we have evolved to a more eclectic than classical homeschool, but I find lots of useful stuff here.

 

I consider myself pretty unconventional compared to my few friends. We haven't had tv in four years and avoid most pop culture. I have my own ideas about religion. I have a very dry sense of humor. I like to curse in my home when my children aren't around. I don't like girly flicks - prefer intense, non-linear storylines in movies (fav movie "True Romance"). I read all my news online (local, national and foreign). I vote in every election (local & national). I hate shopping and only buy stuff when I have to. We drive old cars and have cheap furnishings. I have very eclectic tastes. I don't care to keep up with the Jones'. I don't like being around groups of people or doing group activities (and I was socialized in PS).

 

I am opinionated, but realize that there are few that share my opinions. I think I'd like to sit down for coffee with GothicGyrl and Michelle T. I have a feeling we'd get ourselves kicked out of Starbucks though...:eek:

 

My hobby is self-educating. I'm working through Russian Math 6 and reading a bunch of parenting books (my 11 year old is putting me through he wringer).

I love math and frequent Kitchentablemath site as well as Joanne Jacobs' site.

 

I enjoy this board because I find the people who visit this board interesting and smart. I have learned so much here - both about homeschooling and living. I feel like I am almost "consulting the Oracle" when I log on with a question for the boards..:)

 

Nicksmama

[Amira]

I have 3 boys, one who's a few weeks old and a 1st grader and 3rd grader. We love to live overseas and like learning languages. If anyone is working on Persian right now, I'd love to hear about it. I love to read and do traditional handicrafts like spinning and handquilting and to cook, especially international recipes.

 

We've always homeschooled, partly because we've moved every summer since our older son was 4, but mostly so because we all love it. I've been reading often and posting sometimes on the WTM boards for almost 5 years.

[mcconnellboys]

Okay, are you sure you want to hear about me again, LOL?

 

I'm old and crotchety. I have two sons. Save yourself and stop now.....

 

I studied anthropology in college, at UT, Knoxville. My primary interest was in forensics work and I was there when they started the body farm, but due to political reasons (professor duals) I was relegated to work with primates in association with Oakridge labs.....

 

Due to a socially chaotic life, I did not end up finishing my masters, nor going on to earn a Phd. I moved to Baton Rouge, met my future husband, got a great paying job and bought my first house.

 

I changed from the retail work I'd grown up in to working in a law office because I'd fallen in love with reading law during a business law class. I obtained paralegal certification from LSU and decided that I wanted to work in medical malpractice (closest thing to forensics work and a lot cleaner).

 

I was able to become an adjuster with the Louisiana Worker's Comp Fund when it was reorganized and did that work, as well as some outside paralegal work, for the rest of the time I lived in BR.

 

We moved to Lexington when my youngest was 9 months old. My husband took a job here as adjuster for a high risk worker's comp fund, similar to one he'd been working for in LA. I got him into the insurance area of work after he took his CPA and other accounting designations. The only one he doesn't have is Certified Fraud Investigator, which is the only one I think would be interesting, LOL!

 

My oldest son is 15 and a sophomore who has gone back to private school this year. He's so mega-social that he's met half the school already and loves it. He swims year round and is very interested in drama and playing guitar (isn't every teen boy?) His teachers all tell me that he's SO quiet, and well-mannered and SUCH a good student, LOL - he's obviously pretty good at drama...... Oh, and he's over 6 feet tall and still growing. I feel like I live with Clifford, the big red dog.....

 

My youngest is almost 10 (in March) and way too much like me, with all our family's bad genes, sigh...... He's actually mentally quicker and trickier than my oldest and keeps us all hopping with his constant plays to dominate and control every aspect of every situation, EVERY day....

 

He's a soccer man, but has a club foot condition that causes his calf muscles to be weaker, so he's sort of topping out at this point in what he can do physically. I hate that for him and will have to continue to try to look for new outlets for him. He loves animals and really loves to ride horses. We have opportunities aplenty here, so I may move to get him into that in future.

 

They've both been good students for me, although their interests and abilities are certainly different. I continue to tweak and change to try to improve for my younger over what I offered my older; learn from mistakes and make better (such as more tests in middle school, etc.)

 

My husband is still working as that auditor in that worker's comp company and has really had a charmed life insofar as his work situations. I guess that's a fair thing. He's a good person and deserves to have a cush job that allows him to be with his beloved boys as much as possible (he works a 4 day week, so long hours on those days, but he's off on Fridays).

 

I have not worked since moving here. We had my younger's club feet and worries that he had CP to deal with when we first moved, until he was about 5. My mil died due to lung cancer just a few weeks before we moved here. My fil almost immediately found a new lady friend, which devastated my husband (and he's sort of abandoned all of us since then). My oldest had been diagnosed with ADHD, which was no big deal in BR, but HERE it was like a great big "retarded" sign taped to them - what a hassle that proved to be. KY was a little behind the rest of the country, we thought, to say the least.....

 

Oh, and how can I forget the horrible fiasco of poor teacher management that the poor child endured during the half year we had him in private school when we first moved here? I won't even go into it. Suffice it to say that the teacher let a nothing incident explode into the biggest, monthS long deal, and my first grade son ending up sobbing on the way to school each day as he worried about what would occur that day..... OY.... We learned that there was such a thing as homeschooling and we started down that path. Not perfect with a curmudgeonly mom like me, but maybe better than the alternative.....

 

So, I've been a little busy, LOL. And once all that cleared up I got involved in putting on major vacation Bible schools for a few years with almost no help, 'cause I'm such a glutton for punishment, I guess. Then my husband finally put his foot down about that and I've actually sort of begun to occasionally be able to have a somewhat clean house.

 

I really wanted my children to be able to do and learn from lots of immersion type activities of speakers, classes, and field trips so I got involved in scheduling of trips in our area during my second year of homeschooling. I've helped start and restart a local coop. I help get outside, stand-alone classes started (and really prefer these over coop for the amount of learning involved). I still work to set up theatre performance dates, get-togethers, physical ed opportunities, and field trips throughout our area. I belong to a webring in the area that has about 350 families subscribing to it, so posting there helps get the word out about group activities.

 

I found out about WTM and read it during my second year of homeschooling. It was really like what I was already doing on my own, and I began implementing some of the curriculum suggestions the next year. It has been invaluable to me! I read and re-read my books, making notes in the margins and inserting notes throughout. I actually took them to Cincy last spring and got SWB to autograph them for me - something I've NEVER done, LOL!

 

Like Peek, I think I tend to decorate with books. I said once on these forums that I think sometimes the stacks are what's holding up the roof, LOL. I've begun starting to sell off some of the really little guy stuff - but I still think that 5000 mark sounds about right for what I've got on hand. I seem to find replacements faster than I can empty the shelves....

 

OKAY, enough about me. I'll shut up,

 

Regena

[Cathy in IL]

I have 3 children that are forever mine - dd(9), dd(6), and ds(4). On any given day I have up to three other children. Today I have two brothers who are 1 and 3. I am a single, licensed foster mom but am currently with a program called Safe Families that helps prevent abuse and neglect by providing children with a family to live with when their own family is in a crisis situation. I have had 14 children since August when I moved to a house the agency owns. Before that I lived with my 3 in a small condo and wanted to be a part of Safe Families, but had no space.

 

Our curriculum is eclectic but mostly follows the recommendations in WTM. I have homeschooled for 5 years now.

 

In my "free time" I like to talk with friends, book, bake, scrapbook, hike, and listen to music.

[Paz]

I have been married for 20 years. I homeschooled ds until 8th grade. He's currently a Sr in HS doing all duel enrollment classes this semester. He used to play baseball and is now into surfing and snowboarding. I homeschool dd (15) who is dyslexic and amazing. She looks at life differently than anyone I know. She plays softball and loves animals. We are currently using SOS for geography and Spanish, Jacobs for Algebra 1, Apologia for Biology, and BJU for English Lit.

[myfunnybunch]

I'm Cat. I've got five children: A lovely lady, almost 15, homeschooled for middle school, now attending public high school; A lovely lady with autism, 12, homeschooled this year; three fine young gents: 7, 5 on Friday, and 3.

 

I rarely post, but I read the boards on a daily basis.

[OhM]

I am Michelle from Ohio. I'm a part-time EE (hence, "OhM", get it? Thanks OHElizabeth - wherever you are!)

 

This is our 3rd year of homeschooling dd12 (7th grade) and dd10 (4th grade). I've frequented the boards beginning about 2 years before I started hs'ing. After reading TWTM, I couldn't not give my kids that education. (And yet it still took us two years to re-organize our life to be able to do it.)

 

Now that I've done it for awhile, I can't really say I'm giving them the education SWB spelled out and I envisioned, but we are taking what we can from the book, doing what we can, and enjoying our time together.

 

I live in a tiny town (pop. 500) which is 10 minutes away from a small city, and 20 minutes away from a larger city. We feel like we have the best of both worlds with that kind of proximity to arts and sporting events.

 

Been married to dh for 14 years (had to engrave the date in his ring to keep track of it, because I'm bad that way :rolleyes:) I'm a sometimes-pianist at church, SS teacher, Christmas program director, VBS director, GS leader, and obviously someone who can't say "no". I like to read more than I like to breathe, but I'm not (yet) a book collector. I am a library fanatic. I'm probably every bit as opinionated as the next person, but would bite my tongue off before telling you what I think.

 

And since I'm babbling now, I'll say, "See ya later" and go back to my shell.:)

[OnTheBrink]

I'm Michelle. I've been homeschooling since 2001, when I pulled my son out of public school to home school him during his high school years. He graduated in 2005. I home school my almost-10 year old daughter and I babysit an 18 month old toddler.

 

I've been divorced for 7 months; separated 2 years. By God's grace and provision, I was able to purchase my little blue house where I and my kids live. My son is in college and lives at home.

 

I have loosely followed WTM with both kids, but right now am following the frame-work a bit more than I have before. I've also used CM methods with my daughter, but with watching a toddler, I don't have the time to spend on CM methods anymore.

 

This is my favorite home schooling board and I love the opinions and recommendations of everyone here. This is one smart group of women!

[Kristiana]

Hey Amy, I'm a musician and teacher as well. I play the cello and have 10 private students, as well as a trio for weddings, and am in a local community symphony.

 

Anyway, I live in Salt Lake City where I'm currently freezing! It is so cold here this week! But I've been married for 10 years and we have 3 boys ages 7, 4.5, and 3. We started homeschooling (if you can call it that) when our oldest was 3.5 and abnormally interested in the alphabet. We did letter of the week which took us a year to get through the alphabet due to morning sickness and a premature baby. DH always said we were going to homeschool our kids and I'd laugh at him. But here we are!

 

We did FIAR for two years and I dearly love that curriculum, I always said classical education, at least as I'd seen it described, was not for me. But then I picked up TWTM and I absolutely loved it. It was like someone took the ideal education I wanted for my children and wrote it down! We love the history focus and 4-yr rotation (DH was a history major) and it just made sense to me and I also love how it maps out 12 years of school for you. I'm sure we won't follow it exactly, we haven't already and we're just doing 1st grade, but I love having the plan there. I feel like I know where I'm going, I'm not wandering aimlessly through curriculum.

 

Anyway, I also love family history, cooking, baking, cross-stitch, reading, and travel. I found this board about 1.5 years ago and it completely overwhelmed me, just the sheer size and amount of information. I came back to it about a year ago though and I've posted irregularly, mostly on the curriculum board. I've learned so much though, I love coming here to meet like-minded homeschoolers. I don't know too many others locally that use TWTM. So, that's me!:)

[HomeOnTheRanch]

I've been married for 17 1/2 years to my college sweetheart. He's still my sweetheart, but thankfully he is out of school now. We live on a 50+ acre hay ranch. DH is a doctor in a rural health clinic and pastors a small church. We have 4 kids...DS almost 14, DS 10 1/2, DS 8, and DD almost 23 (ok, she'll be 6, but she thinks she's 23).

 

We've been homeschooling for over 10 years since DS taught himself to read. We took it year-by-year, but we finally decided we're in it for the long haul. It has been a blessing while we were moving so much for DH's education since the kids never had to switch schools, and now we wouldn't have it any other way.

 

We use quite an eclectic mix of curriculum. What worked well for my oldest doesn't quite work for the 2nd, so we have quite a library of books for a variety of learning styles.

 

I've been visiting the boards for about 3-4 years. The poster currently known as Mama Bear kept emailing me links to certain discussions and I was a frequent lurker up until about 2 years ago when I started posting sporadicly. I'm sure there are other people on the boards that I know IRL, but I haven't identified them yet! It has been fun "seeing" other people here that I know from other boards around the net.

[Sugarfoot]

I just posted an introduction on the K-8 curriculum board, but I don't know how to cross post it, so I'll try to repeat it here:)

I'm Gina, my husband and I have 4 children, and we live in the Flint Hills of Kansas. I have a master's degree in marriage and family counseling and my husband is a gastroenterologist. I've always homeschooled our older 2 and will add the other 2 when it's time! We have a ds12, dd 9, dd 18 mos., and ds4 mos. We also have 2 huge Golden Retrievers. We travel quite a bit--most often to DisneyWorld. The 2 older children are black belts in Tae Kwon Do. They also take piano lessons, and dd 9 does gymnastics. I feel very fortunate to be able to teach my children at home!

[kalanamak]

Have you read PrairyErth? It is all about Chase County and is the only book I've found that really gives the flavour of Kansas.

 

I love driving Hwy 177 at dawn or sunset and going to hear the Prairie chickens boom and poking around in the little historical societies in the county seats.

[Guest Katia]

I am Kat in IA, hence the name Katia and I've been on the boards since 1999.

 

Married to my pastor dh for 25 years and homeschooling for 13 1/2 years now.

 

I love cats and have three right now, having just lost my first baby (she was around 19 years old) in October.

 

TWTM is a terrific book that I've read many times but I just can't seem to implement it in our home. We've done more of a Beechick/CM style in elementary and jr. high. So far, high school has been rather traditional.

 

I like to eat, especially chocolate, but I don't like to cook. I like to bake :)

 

Music is my one talent, but it is strictly an "at home" thing. I'm making sure my girls are trained so they can bless others with their talent.

 

I love to read, but I need bi-focals and I'm in denial...so I don't read much right now. Only three novels so far this week.

 

I'm and organizer and planner, but only in my home and homeschool. Otherwise, I'm a classic introvert with OCD tendencies.

 

Love these boards!

[frogpond1]

and have 4 children- 7th, 5th, 3rd and 1st. My husband and I run a 2 day homeschool cooperative school for 21 3rd-8th graders and on the other 3 days I homeschool and run the household, command AWANA, and try to spend more time with my littlest one. I've been learning Classical Education methods since my first born was in first grade and I'm still learning. I'm working hard on mastering Latin, completed Wheelock's +, but still building mastery in many areas- it takes this almost 40 year old brain a while to commit things to long term memory. I'm also chewing on the Progymn in order to really teach it from my heart and not just be stuck following any particular classical writing/composition curriculum.

 

I'm a math major/former ps teacher... so the teaching thing has been my life since grade 3 when I decided that was my dream. I'm a perpetual student and lover of learning, so I guess that is why Classical Education appeals... what other type of education would make you study like mad to teach a group of 6th graders??

 

My littlest guy officially is reading well now and I guess I'm closing that chapter in my life- teaching my babies to read. We still snuggle and work on fluency, but you should hear him read. I am completely amazed in a sad sort of way. He is just a first grader but he'd rather die than let me sing those cute phonics museum tunes to him about long u etc. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOm.." he grumps and I have to stop embarrassing him immediately. Well, at least I can still sing him Bible verses!

 

So now you know who frogpond1 is, the one interested in all the latest classical scoop, and eager to try the hard Singapore bar problems, and willing to try to help on Latin.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm Jean in Newcastle. I've been married to my dh, Tanny, for 15 years now. We met in Greek class in seminary. He is Filipino but is more American than I am. I grew up as a missionary kid in Japan. My dh is a Nurse Manager at a dialysis clinic and pastors on weekends and Wednesdays.

 

I have wanted to homeschool ever since I read "For the Children's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. This was while I was single and was teaching at a private school for gifted kids. One of my "interview" questions for my dh during our engagement (and it was a deal-breaker!) was if he would go along with homeschooling. He is more committed to homeschooling the longer we do it!

 

I have two children. Science Boy (10 yo/5th grade) loves to read, do science (of course!), draw, and bake for his two-year old baking business. Monkey Girl (6 yo/1st grade) loves to dance, do gymnastics, do math and play. She wants her own business (making jewelry) when she is seven! We do a CM/Classical mix.

[Amy in Orlando]

Amy in Orlando here. Guess where I live? Dh, Mike, and I have been married for 18 years this March, together for 22 years total. We met at the Univ. or Florida, though we were both born and raised in the NE (Pittsburgh and Buffalo). We have four sons (info on them below). To be honest, homeschooling never occurred to us. To be brutally honest, I danced in the parking lot that day I dropped my twins off at kindergarten. We initially started homeschooling out of frustration with our local school system. Now we do it because we can't imagine doing anything else! This is our eighth year.

 

For the most part we follow TWTM because it's worked for us. I like notebooks. AND, despite what you might read in my blog, I like order. But, that's just me. I tend to embrace the goofy/ridiculous side of life (though, irl, I'm not exceptionally goofy or ridiculous - well, just a little).

 

I'm finishing up my last cup of tea and patting myself on the back for not shrieking ONCE during ds's first official day of having a driving learner's permit. 45 minutes and I did not once yelp.

[freethinkermom]

I introduced myself on the accelerated board, but I will do so here also :)

 

I am Terry, mom to ds10 (11 in three weeks) and ds6, wife to dh for what will be 16 years on Feb 8. We met when we were 9 and have been friends ever since. I am from California, but we moved to the Oregon coast almost six years ago. The area we live in is not exactly rural, but it is isolated from any real cities which makes me a bit stir crazy at times.

 

We have almost always homeschooled. I was having some health problems so we tried the public schools for the first trimester of the school year. I got better and the schools sucked, so they are back home and we are pretending it never happened :D

 

I used to post on the WTM boards and at The Denim Jumper as 2wackyboys or wackboysx2, but freethinkermom is a better decription and easier to type.

[buddhabelly]

I'm buddhabelly here and on the old boards. I have had a lot of trouble getting registered and also getting used to the new format, hence my lack of new posts recently.

 

I homeschool one 8yo 3/4 grade boy, and live in Alaska. My son is wild for Legos and computer programming/design. (Yes, he does the Lego robotics!) I'm a Buddhist, and my belly is only of moderate size. I homeschool because my son requested it. He can't tolerate the noise and chaos of public school.

 

We use SOTW, Right Start Math D, RS4K Chemistry I (and also Physics I), Latin for Children B, Espanol para Chicos y Grandes, Elementary Spanish on United Streaming, Growing with Grammar 3, Spelling Workout D/E, and Classical Writing Aesop B. Ds really likes Classical Writing. We have also begun looking at IEW, which I think is good if you don't take it as gospel. The author discourages you from doing so! It is a good blend with CW Aesop so far.

 

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

 

Julie

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I grew up in Baltimore County Maryland, but now live on the beautiful Eastern Shore of Maryland (no comments about how we talk here please - remember I can only hear you with my good ear)

I planned to homeschool my son before he was even born. He is now 14 and I am still as passionate abouthomeschooling as I was at the beginning.

We use a mix of SOTW, Sonlight(mainly reads and read alouds for history), Chalkdust Math, Sequential Spelling, Winston Grammar, almost finished Igniting your writing (next will be Format Writing), Prentice Hall Science Explorer and Discovering Science in...series books(currently doing garden book), Rosetta Stone Spanish, Wordly Wise 3000, Pentime Handwriting. I especially liek to use History Through the Ages to organize our history studies and we also use Amy Paks timeline stickers. I recently order Amy Pak American Revolution and Colonial studies set and they look wonderful. We also do a lot of hands on science work. Currently we are doing Mr. Circuit 2, building a solar and also a fuel cell car, and Zome geometry studies.

I enjoy reading a lot, and I do a lot of reading. I am currently on book 15 in my 888 reading challenge. I also like to watch Jane Austen movies so you know what I am doing on Sunday nights at the moment.

The only blog I read on a regular basis is Ree's Pioneer Woman

I have been married to my dh for nearly 18 years. We currently live near the beach, but we plan to retire in the mountains.

[Shelly in IL]

I am a SAHM with Dh as a commercial pilot. We have 2 wonderful boys, 11 and 8; 2 dogs - an Airedale and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; 1 deaf cat; and 50 chickens (the boys have an egg business).

 

We use an Eclectic approach to our homeschooling, picking and choosing from great stuff that we are exposed to largely from this board. Favorites are: Apologia science, Abeka Math through 5th grade, Veritas Press History, Lial's Basic college Math, and Latin Prep Latin.

 

We have always homeschooled. God has put us near some wonderful homeschool families as our children have grown up, so we were exposed to the benefits of it while our children we very young. This allowed us to become used to the idea and decide that it was our path relatively easily!

 

My husband was a Marine Corps F-18 pilot, we moved a TON. It has shaped us into a very flexible family. We are hoping that when we put our children in high school that we won't freak at the rigidity of their schedules!

 

Now, if you have read this far, would someone please e-mail me privately and tell me how to get a hive mind stamp on my name, and also how to do other various things on this board? Thanks so much!

[Debbie in IL]

Good idea, Peek!

 

We are in Central IL, transplanted from New England / Upstate NY. Fortunately, we love it out here - and family from back East is able to visit us very often, which is wonderful.

 

Married to dh 17 1/2 years; 2 dc - dd 12 1/2, ds 10. Started off with Calvert, shifted to WTM 3 yrs ago. Now, I consider us as "comfortably classical". We are using Sonlight and loving it.

 

Deb

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Hello. I've been homeschooling for about 15 years, I'm starting to lose track of how long it has been. I have 5 kids dd 21 (with 2yo grandson), ds 17, ds 14, ds 8, ds 3. My daughter went to public school kindergarten but none of my kids has been to ps since.

 

I started with Konos and Writing Road to Reading because my friend who convinced me to homeschool used those resources. As I learned more on my own, I became interested in Greenleaf Press and their idea of following history from beginning to end. From there I found Sonlight and did that for a couple of years, but I found my self creating my own curriculum packages pulled together from things I liked. Then I read TWTM and refined my approach to history even more, I even tried Latin for a few years with my oldest son. :)

 

I'm now in a place where I feel comfortable with choices that I've made, so I don't really know what's new out there, I just keep plugging along. Still, History is a big deal in our house.

 

I sew, crochet, cook from scratch, practice frugality out of necessity not necessarily choice, wore denim jumpers for about 3 years (peer pressure, you know ;)) and have never worn birkenstocks.:) I am currently attending community college at night, but I'm not sure where I want it to lead.

 

I am a Christian and attend a church of Christ congregation. You might say I am moderately conservative in practice, but willing to be liberal in thought, up to a point. :D At any rate, I don't believe in accepting doctrine and teaching blindly. "Read, think, and learn" applies to my approach to Christianity

 

I found the boards about 3.5 years ago. I love coming here to find book titles, and interesting conversation.

[Janet in Toronto]

I have two sons, 16 and 12. I homeschooled boy #2 for two years, Grades 4 and 5. He returned to school last year and is now in Grade 7.

 

Growing up and living most of my adult life in Canada, I had never really heard of or seriously considered homeschooling. When we moved to the Atlanta area 6 years ago, the first neighbours we met were homeschooling 5 boys. When public school didn't seem to be working out for our second child, we pulled him out and did the first two years of the classical history cycle.

 

We returned him to a private Catholic school when it became clear that he needed more opportunity to be with children his own age, and I wasn't able to provide that for him, for a variety of reasons.

 

We're now back in Canada and it is clear that his two years of homeschooling have prepared him very well for the rigorous school program that he is in now.

 

On the personal side, I've been married for almost 25 years. I worked in telecommunications for 17 years as a statistician, researcher, and people/project manager, until I left to go back to school. I have been at home since 2001 and have discovered the joys of full-time mothering/housekeeping. I'm an avid knitter and love to cook and sew.

[Jean in Wisc]

High School Board Introductions

[Guest heymom]

I only post once in a while, but I read often.

 

I'm the permanent mom of 2 boys, both on the Autism spectrum--whatever that means. I am the temporary mom of 1 girl.

 

The kids are 9 1/2, 5 1/2, & 1 1/2.

 

We have a basset hound and live in the Packer state. :D:)

 

Our version of school is ever evolving to meet our family needs and keep a life of sanity and peace, with a huge measure of fun.

[Annie G]

I'm Annie and I've been here for several years..,probably 4 or so.

We live in Northern Illinois, which is an adjustment after living in Atlanta since 1969! (The current outside temperature is 1)

Dh is an engineer and I have been a full time SAHM since 1989.

Daughter Kimberly is in her 3rd year of her PhD studies at Georgia Tech. She has been married for almost three years and they have a darling daughter, Anna Grace.

Daughter Elizabeth is a pharmacy tech at our local hospital and doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up.

Daughter Catherine loves languages and musical theater and has two more years of school before she heads off to college.

Son James is a delight. He is a mini version of dh and has a beautiful even personality (hey, after three hormonal, emotional, passionate teen girls, that's more important than you might think!!). Like many teen boys, he's consumed with cars.

Dh and I are quite involved with the area Corvette club, which is part social club and part service organization. We are also heavily involved with Christian Youth Theater.

It has been so interesting reading about everyone!!

[MNClaire]

but am back and using my old moniker.

 

I am Claire, been married to dh for over 17 years. He was born in the Netherlands, and our son was born in Bulgaria (adopted) so I'm the only Yank in the group. We live in rural Minnesota, but not so rural that we still can't get to the Twin Cities easily.

 

This is my third year homeschooling. The first year we used My Father's World for kindergarten. Switch to straight WTM for 1st grade. Favorite curriculum is Math-U-See...my slow math learner is really getting the concepts now because of it.

 

I like to read, scrapbook, quilt, exercise and play computer games in my spare time (just what is spare time?) I have learned a TON from you ladies here on these boards and am so glad this resource is here.

[Janna]

I loathe mean people

 

LOL! That's nice to know that you "loathe" mean people, LOLOL!! Way to be different! :D

 

~Janna

[jellybean]

I have only posted a couple times on the old board. Not even sure what my old name was. But just introducing myself. I have 4 kids and have been hs'ing for several years now. Nice meeting all of you!

[Sunny]

I'm Sunny AKA in real like as Dawn. I've been homeschooling since the babes were born. Josh is now 13 and Zach is 12. I made a mission statement when the boys were about 1st grade, and when I read it today, it is still mostly true. I wish I would have settled on what type of Classical Ed we wanted from the beginning, but God always seems to keep a step ahead of me, and I find myself needing to change the plans to accomodate. So, I don't feel too bad.

 

We're Christian, of the reformed denomination United Christian Reformed. Grew up Lutheran, and then went to Baptist where I realized I was a child of God, and now love our reformed church.

 

I have been frequenting these boards since about 1999. I'm addicted, I love them. I changed my name somewhere in the early 2000's because there were several Dawn's that would show up, use the name,and people would get confused. So I finally changed to something that was less common, but still find imposters posting once in a while :D I'm going to really like this board, with registered names! No more imposters! No more confusion as to who anybody is. Maybe I'll finally get everyone straight!

 

I've been married to my wonderful, handsome man for 16 years. He is self employed as a paint contractor, but loves to do anything that means he is moving around and working with his hands. My younger son will someday be like him.

 

I love to mountain bike (when there is time), quilt, scrapbook (learning to digital scrapbook this year), this winter I'm learning to ski and snowboard, I love to read, & train our 2 twin Australian Shepherds.

 

That's me!

[Sunny]

Welcome Sunflower! You have been lurking since 2000, and this is your FIRST post? Wow, how can you sit on your hands so patiently?

Welcome.

[LNC]

deleted - too much info!

[Angie in VA]

Hi, again! I'm Angie in VA and I just posted for the first time last week and then POOF! The boards changed, and I'm old and hate change, but my appreciation for the hard work the good folks do on this board overrides my hating change!

 

We have "officially" homeschooled since 2000. I didn't trust the theory du jour of the public schools to teach my dd to read, so I taught her. Then I realized we already WERE homeschooling and wanted to keep doing it. We've been enjoying the journey ever since. I have a dd and a ds and use a mix, loving a mix of Classical and Charlotte Mason, but we're using Sonlight until we move into our new house which is under construction.

 

I live in the finest state of the union and when I run away from home (WITH my family, not FROM them!) I go to Colonial Williamsburg.

 

I see some familiar names here, more than I saw last week, even. I lurked for a while, and have always learned and laughted a lot here!

 

:)

[Audrey]

Well, I'll play, too.

 

I'm Audrey. I'm a witch. I live near a tiny town in rural western Canada. I've been married to the same, only dh for 10 years (this March). We have one, only son - 8yo. We've always homeschooled, and so far haven't seen any need to change that.

 

We farm on land that's been in dh's family for 125+ years. I work several pt jobs, all but one of them I can do at home. The other is that I am the librarian in our tiny town library. It's a very tiny town, with a library open 15 hrs/week. I like it -- for the books.

[Wendi]

I have one ds, 11yo. I've been homeschooling all along. Long ago, I was a public school teacher.

 

We love to use Veritas history. Still trying to figure out what works best for math. Loving IEW writing this year, and Phonetic Zoo spelling.

 

I sing with the music team at church, and I also sing in a chamber chorale in our city; we sing some wonderful music like Handel's "Messiah", Mendelssohn's "Elijah", Haydn's "Creation", Bach's "Magnificat", etc. I love it!

 

We (well, ds and I, not as much dh) are animal lovers. We have two house rabbits, a tubby one named Oreo and a fluffy princess named Lanah. I'd love to get a cat someday.

 

We love hiking, and can't wait to get up into the high country soon to play in the snow.

 

We're a busy family this year, as I'm working part-time to raise money for an international adoption.

 

Wendi

[PixieKris]

*waving* Hi LB! Slowly going through all these great introductions, and thought I'd say hi!

[Sharon H in IL]

Hi, I'm a regular, though these boards have me a bit intimidated. [blush]

 

I've been using TWTM as inspiration ever since my oldest was a toddler, and he's 11 now, in 5th grade. My younger son is 8 and in 3rd grade. Married for 22 years, have my MIL living in an attached apartment next to us.

 

We spend about two years doing a SOTW book, and we're on the third volume now. I have about a thousand books of children's historical literature and science that we supplement with!

Some other programs we use:

Latina Christiana I & II

RightStart math

Andrew Pudewa's poetry memorization course

First Langauge Lessons 3 & Spectrum Word Study for grammar

Kimber's Classical Reading and Writing Copybook for cursive handwriting & copywork for the elder DS, Memoria Press' Copybook III for the younger

Natural Speller for spelling

 

Younger son takes piano lessons and ballet; older son is involved in every sport known to the park district.

 

It's wonderful to have this resource for support and my own enlightenment. As so many people have said, I've learned more about homeschooling here than anywhere else.

[SheilaZ]

I'm Sheila. In my life BC, I was a middle school science teacher. I quit teaching soon after my oldest was born. I like to say that I'm on extended maternity leave.

 

I've been married to my Army guy for 13 years but we live in my hometown. That will change in the next year. I'm not looking forward to it.

 

We have four boys ages 12, 9, 6, and 4. The boys have always been homeschooled. I wonder from year to year if I will continue homeschooling, but DH is sold on the benefits of staying home. He's my enabler for all things educational and fiber based.

 

I'm an eclectic homeschooler with a secular bent. I use a little of everything. Whatever works for the individual. ( MCP math, Singapore Math, Spelling Workout, Wordly Wise, Hooked on Phonics, Explode the Code, R&S English, Abeka English, SOTW, CK History, Harcourt Science, and MCP maps and graphs.)

 

Let's see....I knit. I crochet. I sew a little. I teach a knitting class. I tutor some 8th graders. (Which is quite informative.) I don't change my bed sheets nearly enough. I bake bread in my bread machine. And I make crazy birthday cakes.

 

I don't like mopping and I wish this writer's strike would end because I've grown quite fond of Chuck and Pushing Daisies.:mad:

[Sugarfoot]

Hi, Kalanamak, I've never read that book--I'll look for it! We've lived here about 7 years. We're in Riley county. It really is gorgeous. I, too, love the view from 177 at sunset. It makes the rest of the world just disappear...

[Tia in Wa]

Hi everyone I am Tia and I live in western Washington. My dh and I have been married for nearly 11 years. We have 2 dc and 2 dogs. This is our 2nd year of hs. The first part of that 1st year was scary. I was saved by WTM.

I love to read. I too decorate with piles of books. My favorite fiction authors are Georgette Heyer and J.R.R. Tolkien, but I will read anything.I also scrapbook, quilt, and swim.

 

The posts here have been so helpful to me thank you all so much!:)

[RegularMom]

Hi, I'm RegularMom.

 

I've been homeschooling since about 2006 or so. I have 2 girls, ages 7 and 4, so I'm clearly in the beginning stages of this whole thing.

 

I never, ever planned to homeschool. Then I had kids and sent them to preschool. And that was...INTERESTING. And then I decided I wanted to try homeschooling. Two months after making that decision, I got up the nerve to tell my husband I wanted to homeschool the kids, and he immediately hugged me and told me it was a GREAT IDEA and furnished me a schoolroom.

 

And all that time, I was sure he'd have me committed for wanting to homeschool. Who knew?

 

So, that's how I got myself into this.

 

I really like TWTM, and hope to follow its guidelines as much as possible over the upcoming years. But I'm new, so who knows how this will all turn out?

 

About a year ago, we decided it would be a good idea to pick up and move 2,000 miles across the country to be closer to family. Now that we've done it, we're wondering WHAT WE WERE THINKING. It's been a tough year, but we're hanging in there and still homeschooling.

 

When I'm not teaching my 7-year-old, you might find me beating my head against the wall as I try valiantly to negotiate with my 4-year-old, or to get the dishwasher to work right, or maybe even to catch up on all the laundry, or -- even funnier -- to find at least 8 minutes by myself that don't involve me sitting in a locked bathroom. I hear people say that as the kids get older, it gets easier to find time for yourself. I almost believe them.

 

I write about all this stuff at my blog (www.regular-mom.com) but if you come visit my blog, please be aware that it's not exactly rated G. Which means that I've occasionally been known to utter a few 4-letter expletives in my posts. From time to time. But, not every day. I make an effort to keep it clean for my dear RegularSister who doesn't like cursing so much. But every once in a while, one just pops out. And my blog is sort of the only place left where I can go and shout four letter words. Which is theraputic for me in many ways. So, I won't promise to stop it.

 

So, fair warning to you all.

 

I'm more of a lurker at these boards. I can't say the new format will change that or not. I can say that, for me, lurking is good. In real life, it's hard to get me to stop talking. So, enjoy my lurkiness, people. Seriously.

 

I like to come here and read how it's going for other moms who have kids my age. Because I need to know that the craziness is somewhat commonplace. That It's Not Just Happening Here At My Place. Ya know?

 

Of course you do.

[mommatlaw]

I am a newbie here. I posted this message on the afterschooling board, but thought I would introduce myself (since I lurk on your board for all of the wonderful opinions and advice). I have recently made the decision to "afterschool" my DD1, who will turn 5 in February and, eventually DD2, who will turn 2 in February. I work part-time, and the girls are in school for much of the day. In anticipation of public kindergarten next year, I have begun to work with DD1 in the evenings after dinner (not the easiest time of day for either of us). I hope to supplement the school's curriculum, spend quality time and stimulate her desire to learn, among other reasons. I would appreciate any feedback from experienced moms who have taken a similar path. I am at a loss as to how to do this in an organized and manageable fashion (should I develop a simple lesson plan? should I set aside an area in the house? is this too much for my child?). I also would love advice on any curriculum you have chosen. Thank you very much!

 

Michele:)

[Andie]

Welcome!

[Peek a Boo]

Howdy!

 

i can't say I've BTDT, but here's a couple of ideas that I've picked up from listening in on other conversations....

 

If that's a tough time of the day for y'all, you might want to consider making it a basic GAME time --don't try to teach anything formal, just play an educational game --cards [numbers!], board games [counting moves], pizza fraction games, even the "jr" types of monopoly and scrabble. She'll learn a LOT, have fun, it's low-stress, and eeeeeeasy, lol. Maybe as y'all get accustomed to playing together, your moods will eventually gear to that time as a FUN time and you can start implementing a few minor "serious" concepts couched in the name of fun. Janice Van Cleave has a series of books called "Play and Find Out About...X..." that you can see at the library.

 

oh-- and we're collecting intros at the thread below-- click on over and be assimilated!!!:D

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1182

 

Good luck!

[Sharon H in IL]

I am a newbie here. I posted this message on I have begun to work with DD1 in the evenings after dinner (not the easiest time of day for either of us). I hope to supplement the school's curriculum, spend quality time and stimulate her desire to learn, among other reasons.

 

Hi, Michele,

 

I love all the great advice I've gotten on this board, and one piece of advice that seems to be consistent is: Don't push too hard when they're young. Enjoy them. Cuddle them. Read to them. If the time of day you are focusing on extra educational things is rough, then they're going to associate 'aftershooling' with that emotional state. You want it to be a good thing, so keep it positive and enjoyable.

 

They'll be able to handle more work-type activities as they get older. But their emotional approach to learning will inevitably hinge on your attitudes and how they feel when they're with you. So . . . everybody, have fun!

Read fairy tales, read bible stories, read simple science picture books. Plant beans, blow bubbles, see what floats & what sinks, sing folk songs, sing skip counting songs, dance Skip To My Lou.

 

HTH

[Barb_]

I am at a loss as to how to do this in an organized and manageable fashion (should I develop a simple lesson plan? should I set aside an area in the house? is this too much for my child?). I also would love advice on any curriculum you have chosen. Thank you very much!

 

First of all, welcome! Enjoy your new venture with your little ones.

 

Please don't feel as if you have to do lesson plans at this point in the game. At your girls' ages, lessons should feel mostly like play. Don't think if it as school, think of it as an extension of your day to day parenting. At age 5, the main focus should be on skills. Daily handwriting practice, a little Math each day to stay sharp, and reading lessons unless she advanced, and then she can just read to you. Don't do lesson plans, just pick up the book and do the next thing each day.

 

Content is the fun stuff: Science, History, Art, Music, Literature. Don't try to hit each area every day. At this age, it's fun to do a unit study of each continent. Pull out storybooks, make regional food, look up art projects and music and/or composers from different countries. Keep an eye out for the gleam in their eyes. If the gleam is there, keep going, but if the spark goes out, put it away for the day. Have fun!

 

Barb