Re-introduce yourself, no matter how long or short you've been here

[AndyJoy]

I'm Andrea.

 

My dad was in the military, so we moved 6 times before I turned 11. My mother was a teacher in Christian schools. I attended a mixture of public and Christian schools. DH and I met in college and have been married 9 years. We were both the first and only date of the other! When I was a freshman in college, I discussed the idea of homeschooling at length with a good friend and determined that was what I wanted for my future children. I knew DH was a keeper pretty early on; on our first date I passionately discussed my intention of homeschooling and didn't scare him off!:D My DH and I were both identified as gifted while in PS and were incredibly frustrated with the lack of challenge afforded us.

 

Our DS will be three this fall so it will technically be 3 more years before he would be officially in K according to the PS cutoff. Unofficially, though, I consider myself a homeschooler because I am intentionally keeping my DS with me rather than using preschool which is the norm around here. I have spent countless hours over the last 11 years researching, planning, and preparing and see homeschooling as my way of life. It affects us already even though DS is not 5 yet. (I promise, however, that I would count my son's preschool years towards my total years homeschooling :tongue_smilie:)

 

My top 3 reasons for wanting to homeschool are (in no particular order):

 

1. Customization for the individual student and the chance to explore links across subjects w/out the compartmentalization of traditional schooling

2. Flexibility of scheduling, curriculum, and the ability to seize opportunities as they arise

3. More daily time with my child to mold character and the chance to be an active participant in his/her education

Edited June 21, 2012 by AndyJoy

[Hilltop]

I'm Jenn. I am a former public school elementary teacher (9 years). I have twin daughters who just turned 7. We chose to homeschool for a variety of reasons, with the primary reason being academic. I love homeschooling, and am so thankful for the freedom to do so, but I find it lonely at times.

[bettyandbob]

I'm Betty. I joined the old boards in 2001, when we started homeschooling oldest. Our reasons were both academic and social--oldest is 2E. Homeschooling gave me an opportunity to learn amazing things about my dc. We are no longer homeschooling, but I after school my youngest. Oldest just graduated high school. He hopes to have a career in the navy. He's come a long way from that quirky little guy who taught himself to read just before he turned 4 (he begged me to teach him, but i told him he should wait. So, he showed me) My middle dc is entering high school. She's in advanced academic programs and dances. My youngest has intellectual disabilities and had a terrible year that resulted in him developing severe anxiety. We are doing some summer academics and learning not to be afraid.

 

Before kids I was a special education teacher, a disability rights advocate, and a patent attorney. I returned to work a couple of years ago. I work at a school that provides online courses grades 6 to 12. I also teach swimming.

[Guest]

I'm Monica. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 11 years now. We have two kids - DS(7) and DD(5). I always thought we'd have a bigger family, but my son informed me when we got our cat that our family "was complete!" and dh tends to agree with him. ;)

 

We decided to homeschool when we moved out of state a few years ago and one of our local elementary schools had a problem with an adult posing as a child. :001_huh: My sister-in-law (who posts here very rarely!) was that crazy homeschooler in the family, but she gave me tons of information and help (and directed me here!) and for that I am eternally grateful. I was thrilled a few years later to share that info. with my other sister-in-law, who also now posts here very rarely. :)

 

Like someone else said, I have been thinking a lot about why I am homeschooling lately. Obviously, we had that local issue when we decided to start, and to some extent, that is still a big part of the reason - the safety of our kids. But, someone asked me the other day, and I realized I didn't have a good answer. I absolutely love it, but I am pondering that question right now, trying to come up with a better answer.

 

I have too many hobbies, and not enough time. :D

So thankful for this board!

[Live2Ride]

I'm CountryGirl2...We live well, in the country, where the cajun/creole food abounds, YUM!. I was studying to be a vet tech at one time when my kids were little, then we moved and I decided to start my own little farm...learned a ton from all the older farmers here and from my own experience and now I wouldn't dream of going to school to be a tech just to get the paper that says so. I'd be bored to tears unfortunately.

 

I'm ADHD...unmedicated, but that's ok. I've learned to deal with it and my DH loves that I can {most of the time} manage to get a lot accomplished even if it does take me a little longer than some people. I always have many projects going at once. I also have a ton of hobbies that I love, but only do a few at a time.

 

We have two kids {in my siggy} with one almost ready to get her learners permit :svengo:

 

We grow/raise a lot of what we eat and have a number of pets. Admittedly the Hermit Crabs we own are mine, :D

 

We started homeschooling because dd was bringing home way too many 'doodle papers' from the private school she was attending and I could see that ds was going to be failed at the end of his K year (and he hadn't even started; he was just in Pre-K). He was totally not ready and DD was literally drawing pictures in class because she was done ahead of the others. We decided that it was rediculous to spend that kind of money, be tied to their schedule, and have her bored. We still spend a good amount, but we get to travel when we want and see so many things. Plus we truely feel that education is not a one size fits all method.

 

THat's all I can think of for now....

[Hwin]

Hi, I am a WOHM to two boys. My oldest is high functioning autism (Asperger's) and recently turned six. My little one was born last December - a VBAC the week before Christmas. My husband and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary in several weeks. He is a wonderful guy who stays home caring for the kids, teaching the oldest, and doing housework, then heading out to a night job, so that we can always have a parent at home despite not being a one income family. My husband is kind of amazing, in case you were wondering.

 

We started homeschooling because my son has special needs, all of them sensory/behavior issues, and we weren't able to iron our certain details with the school.

 

I joined WTM because I had heard about it on the little board for Christian moms where I spend a lot of time.

 

I live in the Adirondacks, have never lived that far from home, and will probably never live anywhere else :)

[Bang!Zoom!]

I'm a single mom of 2 daughters, one who is 3K miles away, age 24 - the other a mere 9 and lives with me. Both of my girls took alternative tracks in education just about the same ages, hence derailing my life plans. :)

 

Myself personally, I do not know another living soul with the same parameters as me. I'm slightly nerdy, I tend to gravitate toward complicated things. Love organization and planning. Nothing would make me happier than to assemble a 20K piece puzzle loose in the box. I love intellectual challenges, I love teaching my youngest daughter who is a constant surprise. My oldest is very passionate about various activism causes and animals; she is artsy and very sociable, my youngest claimed to be artsy but ended up (for now) more creative and mathy in reality. She can be quite frightening in this realm.

 

I get the biggest kick out of other people's children, love photography and editing. My background academically spans a lot of areas, my strong suit is writing and literature arts. A close second is Political Science. Hobbies are (beyond photography) are jewelry design, painting, and once upon a time the domestic arts. Some of those things still follow me, although I travel quite a bit so there's very little "stuff" in my life and I live quite simply. It wasn't always that way, and I have a pretty strong background in antiques, vintage and collectibles.

 

I'm not a high-maintenance girl anymore, but for some time that was high season in my life. Now I'm just t-shirt and ponytail sorta girl. I think it makes me very approachable, and I tend to blend across social spheres; I meet the neatest people in the world, seriously. If I collected any*thing* with fury now, it's interesting stories from people. And it's just for my mental mojo really.

 

Here's a business card of a really amazing personality I met just last week. Great conversation, usual ideas really attract me. Believe me, this one was unusual and great fun!

 

[AK_Mom4]

Hi There,

I lurked for a few years, then decided to come out in the open. I have 4 kids - oldest is at the Air Force Academy, DD18 just graduated after homeschooling her senior year and is headed 1800 miles away in the fall for college. DS16 was homeschooled 5th - 8th grades and is back in ps now (jr. in the fall). DD11 has homeschooled since 2nd grade.

 

It's often cold and dark here in the winter, so I enjoy the fast moving discussions - especially when they get heated up!

 

And yes, I do look EXACTLY like my avatar most mornings!

[applethyme]

I am Tania. I work full time as a hospice nurse on the weekends and during the week am full time mommy to dd5 and ds4. We are just starting homeschooling. Our school district is pretty crummy. Dd is a chatty bundle of questions and energy who loves to learn. I don't want her to loose that. Ds is a medical train wreck on paper but appears healthy outside. He is a very intelligent quirky learner who is probably on the spectrum. I want him to become the best he can be.

 

We are choosing to homeschool for education reasons but also because I don't see the point in having children only to ship them off to be raised by someone else. I want the bad habits they learn to be mine and not ones they learn from just anyone off the street. :lol:

[HSMom2One]

Hi everyone! My name is Lucinda and I live in the Pacific NW.

 

Dh and I have been married 18 yrs and had already raised sons from previous marriages, but later in our lives God gave us a little blond surprise who is now 13 yo. (She is my bio gdd by birth, but we legally adopted her when she was a baby and are raising her as our own.)

 

We started dd out in ps for k, but brought her home after 2nd grade because we felt there was much more focus on social things rather than academic. We also wanted to give dd a Christian education, so we've made a commitment to either hs or send her to the private school where I am on faculty. This will be our 6th year at home, but we plan to send dd to school once she finishes 8th grade next year.

 

I am an artist (graduated with a BFA in Art) and an elementary/secondary art teacher at the above mentioned school and to private students - mostly homeschoolers. I absolutely love my job!

 

Homeschooling has been a rich adventure that I would not have traded for the world. I think I've learned just as much as my dd through the years. I only wish I'd done it sooner with my older children. I think I will always hang around the boards because I enjoy connecting with like-minded people, and I learn a lot from the diversity that is here.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

P.S. I actually joined the Hive in 2007 as skypainter_07, but had to go through a name change. So I guess that means I've been here five years now.

Edited June 22, 2012 by HSMom2One

[J-rap]

Hi! My nickname used to be JJ, and I live on the prairie though I grew up in California. I have five children, three of whom live at home right now and a 4th lives eight locks away. We began homeschooling when our oldest was in 5th grade. We are Christians, but we homeschool not necessarily for Christian reasons but because it just seemed like the wisest thing to do to help our children become independent thinkers. (Plus, it's a lot of fun and we can set our own schedule.)

 

My amazing, brilliant and handsome husband was just about to run for public office when he was hit out of the blue with a massive left-hemisphere (language side) stroke. He is working very hard to "rebuild" that part of the brain, so now I am "homeschooling" my husband as he re-learns letters and every other language-related detail. We believe that with faith and lots of hard work he will get his life back. He has come a long way already!

[She Reads a Lot]

Hi!

 

This thread was a great idea! I've only been on WTM for a year, and I still feel like a newbie.

 

I am Christina and I live in Colorado with my hubby of 13 years and two sons (10 and 8). Our older son goes to ps and loves it--always has.

 

I never thought I would have the patience to homeschool. Then younger ds went to ps and it was a FAIL. Not a good fit for him at all. So I sucked it up, did tons of research, and started HSing him 1 1/2 years ago. Best decision ever! Ds loves homeschooling; I love homeschooling!

 

I didn't find WTM until we'd done our first semester of HSing. I picked our curriculum based on what I thought would work best for ds. So I guess we're eclectic HSers with a lit-based bent (we do lit-based history and science).

 

I work part-time as an editor for a registered investment advisory, editing sell-side research before it is published. I'm going to echo someone earlier in this thead who said hobbies? I'm supposed to have hobbies? Besides obsessively researching curriculum (I'm a junkie) and lurking on this board (I post when I can but just don't have that much wisdom to offer:001_huh:), I read, read, read. Love books, mostly fiction.

 

Oh yeah--I'm apparently incapable of leaving short posts. I'm just a wee bit wordy, IRL and on here.

[BarbecueMom]

BarbecueMom here. I'm a retired band nerd with a degree in music, who married the guy I met at band camp. We have two sons, who provide plenty of humorous quotes for my Facebook updates.

 

Before having kids, I was a police/fire/EMS dispatcher. My very first solo call was a guy asking the cops to retrieve his truck keys from his girlfriend's bra. Nothing surprises me anymore.

 

I'm not very opinionated, so I'm either easy or difficult to talk to, depending on how much anything matters to you.

 

I'm wearing a t-shirt that has a picture of a sniper rifle sticking out of a tent.

 

I'd do about anything for a Dr. Pepper right now.

 

My real reason for homeschooling is that I think I can give them a better education at home. My secret reason for homeschooling is that after 13 years of public education, I realized I don't really like large groups of kids. :tongue_smilie:

[MrsKriknav]

Hi! I'm Sara (without an "h":)) I'm mostly a lurker...on and off the board frequently. I feel like I'm still in the learning stages so I don't post very often. I love this board and the people here! I've been homeschooling my oldest DD for a year and we plan to homeschool through 12th grade. We do it for many reasons, but mainly because we want them to have a Christ-centered education.

 

I grew up in Hanover, VA. My husband and I got married in 2006 and resided in Hampton Roads, Va. He followed his dream to use his computer skills in Missions and in Nov. 2011 we moved across the country to San Diego, CA where my husband is a Web Developer for a Christian organization. We are a very blessed family:D

[KS_]

Hi - I've been on the boards since about 2001 or 2002 with the same username (I started homeschooling ds when he was not quite 3). I only posted occasionally on the old boards, but read and learned a lot. This board has been invaluable for me personally and for homeschooling. We started homeschooling because of how shy ds was and I knew a public school environment wouldn't be good for him, but continue because I feel it's the best choice academically and socially (and ds isn't shy anymore).

[ThreeBlessings]

I'm ThreeBlessings because... you guessed it, I have three kids. I don't post a whole lot, but I read on here most days for 15-20 minutes if I can find them.

 

I decided to homeschool because my oldest dd wanted to stay home and do school with mommy instead of going to public school when Kindergarten time rolled around. The reason for homeschooling has grown and changed just about as much as our family and children, underneath the layers the fact that the kids want to be home instead of away still exists. :)

 

I spent quite a lot of my childhood living in a trailer. My parents split up when I was 12. I was moved once or twice a year each year after that. My dad was a terrible influence, taking me to bars, drinking and driving, etc. He bought me alcohol for the first time when I was 14. At 15 I was working 30+ hours a week and going to high school. At 16 I dropped out of school to work full time and moved in with a friend. I didn't see the point in finishing school when I could be working. Yikes. I had a good work ethic if not much else.

 

I had my first kid at 20. Changed my life completely, of course. From that point most everything has been about the family and the kids. Dh has worked hard to support us so that I could stay at home. We don't desire fancy phones or cars and we actually enjoy shopping for most things used, so it works.

Edited June 21, 2012 by ThreeBlessings

[mama2cntrykids]

Hi everyone! I would introduce myself by first name, but it's pretty uncommon and I don't want it showing up on searches:001_smile:.

 

Anyhoo...we're going on our 5th year hsing. I have a 11.5 yr old ds, 9 yr old ds, 6 yr old dd, 12 month dd and my step son lives with us. He's 17.5 yrs old and will be a senior at the local ps this fall. He just recently joined the military and will go to basic next summer.

 

We live in Minnesota on acreage with two dogs, two cats and about 16-18 hens. I would love to raise meat goats, but b/c we don't know if we'll be moving closer to dh's job in the next year, I won't get started.

 

Hmmm...I enjoy gardening, journaling, hiking, camping and taking care of the precious liitle ones that God entrusted to me.

 

I don't know what else to say. Maybe I will get an idea reading through the other posts.

[Denisemomof4]

I'm Denise, mom to four kids. I am no longer homeschooling my boys. Ds20 is living on his own, working and going to college. Ds17 will be a senior next year.

 

Dd's are 12 and 9. i have been married to my best friend for 23 years and we plan to renew our vows on our 25th anniversary!

 

I love, love, love animals and have what I consider to be our own self funded rescue/sanctuary. We have 40 animals in all.

 

I really love to hike, kayak and ride rollercoasters. I hope to get involved in several different areas of art.

 

I am a nut and my favorite thing to do is laugh.:biggrinjester:

[justamouse]

I'm mouse. I'm tired and hot and have seven kids, 6 of who need naps. I post way too much.

 

I just counted today that I've been homeschooling ten years. That makes me old.

 

After these 10 years of messing up (not really) I think I'm starting to figure things out-so if you're wanting to quit after year three, chin up, there's hope!

 

I live in NJ and I'm very New Jerseyian.

[nukeswife]

Hi,

I'm Kel, my dh is in the Navy and we have 3 kids ages 13, 10.5 and 7 (boy, girl, boy) We have moved quite a bit but the Navy has been really nice to us for the last 5 years and let us stay in one place. We started homeschooling when oldest was in 1st grade, he had a wonderful PS K experience and the exact opposite in PS 1st (new state, new school) so we pulled him out mid 1st grade, which was fine because we were moving to yet another state.

 

We have 2 dogs and a cat (one of the dogs we just adopted from a rescue a couple months ago and you'd never know she hasn't been with us her whole life) As I posted in another thread my cat is weird and drools like you turned on a faucet when you pet him.

 

I joined the WTM board about a week before the format switched to this one.

 

I can't wait until dh is retired from the Navy because then I can finally find my dream home, nothing fancy, just an old farm house with some acreage because I'm sick of my neighbors being so darn close to me.

[nova147]

I'm Nova and I live in Illinois. I've got 4 kids. The oldest is starting 3rd grade in the fall. He went to the Catholic preschool for 2 years, but we started homeschooling when they would not let him begin K because his b-day is after the cutoff (which is "soft" here anyway, and not applicable to private school). Anyway, he is academically gifted and homeschooling is the best thing we could have done for him. I'm able to accommodate his educational needs in a way no school ever could.

 

My younger three keep me on my toes. DD4 wants to do schoolwork, so I find stuff for her, though I'd prefer she learn through play. DD2 was anemic as an infant and did not grow well for a few months. She seems to have gotten past the motor delays that followed the anemia. She has a speech delay that she is also overcoming, fairly quickly at this point. She's a stubborn one! My youngest is the best.baby.ever! Very happy, eats well, naps well, and is even starting to sleep well at night!

[Caroline]

I have been mostly reading but sometimes posting here for probably 10 years. I don't post a lot because I don't homeschool. I have four children. The oldest is 17 and the youngest is 5. I teach AP Calculus at a Title I public high school. My DH designs software from home. My kids all play soccer, and my DH coaches them.

 

I am originally from Columbia, MD, but moved to GA 20 years ago when I got married to go to GA Tech for grad school.

[Mom22ns]

I'm Debbie. I have 2 kids 15 & 13. This will be our 5th year homeschooling. We left the ps because ds who is ASD just couldn't handle the peer stuff. Dd joined us a year later. Homeschooling is the single best parenting decision I have ever made!

 

I have been married for 22 years making me officially OLD! I workout a lot and my latest love is biking. Otherwise, my hobby is homeschooling! :D

[teamturner]

Hi, I'm Michelle. I wish I had used a more anonymous username. Oh well! I've learned so much from these boards and have been a member since 2008 and have just completed our 8th year of homeschooling. I have twin boys that are 12, a 10 yo girl, and a 6 yo girl. I love this journey we are on most of the time. ;)

[Anne in CA]

I'm Anne in Ore.

 

I have a 23yo step dd who I hs'd for 4 years. That got me started homeschooling.

 

My ds is 16, he just finished his first year of community college. He was always homeschooled. I followed TWTM very closely with him for six of those years.

 

My dd is 12, she has also always been home schooled. We very loosely follow TWTM.

 

My dh and I are native Oregonians, we are Pentecostal, but liberal in many regards. We love to travel and even took our youngest dc on safari in Tanzania two years ago. I belong to the Portland Modern Quilt Guild.

[Aurelia]

I'm known here as Aurelia. I have one DD whom I refer to as Ariel. She is currently 8, but first started homeschooling 5 years ago. I work full time, and my mother teaches Ariel some of her subjects while I cover others. DH also works full time, and isn't really involved in homeschooling, though he is supportive, so I don't talk about him much here. :tongue_smilie: I like to use smilies in my posts :D, and am a research hound. I mostly like to try to help others find the right curriculum for their children here, and research the "latest and greatest" stuff, so I can figure out what the heck I'm going to do in the future. :lol:

 

We homeschool for both academic and "socialization" reasons, among other things.

[Aura]

I'm in Georgia. I have six kids, from 2 years to 15 years. We've homeschooled since my oldest was in 1st grade. I'm seriously :banghead: about highschool this year. I mostly lurk with a few posts here and there. I love reading and learning from everyone's views and advice!

[kengjw]

I am Julia and my kids are Jessica (11) and Christopher (6). We are in metro Atlanta, GA. I have been a lurker here for few years before I started posting more this year. I love all the diversity we have here and enjoyed visiting this board daily even when I don't always post.

 

We started homeschooling when my oldest was in 1st grade and she will be starting 6th grade this coming school year. We homeschooled because dd was somewhat an "out-of-the-box" type of child (still is) and most people around her did not know how or care to deal with her. Her previous private christian school told us she wasn't right for their school. From then on, dh and I decided that it will be best to homeschool her. We have not looked back since.

 

Julia

Edited June 21, 2012 by kengjw

[BugsMama]

I'm Heather- Pretty new here, but I tried to just jump in. We just survived our first year homeschooling. We live in Germany, I love photography and art, and spend way too much time online.

[Elvis and Miss Kitty]

My name is Julie. We live in NE Alabama (less than 10 miles from TN and GA). I have a 31 year old stepson, a 27 year old ds (both educated in ps) and a 13 year old ds. I have been homeschooling the youngest for 4 years.

We homeschool because my son really, really hated ps and I really, really wanted to hs him.

 

My hubby is a drag racer (and it appears that youngest may be also). So my hobby (if you want to call it that) is going to drag races.:001_smile:

 

I enjoy this board a great deal, even though I don't post often.

[mazakaal]

I'm Megan and I've been home educating since my oldest was 4. He was put in state school at 13, but the other children have always been home educated, and after our experiences with the oldest, will always be home educated unless we move to an area with a better school.

 

I grew up in New York, but after university move to Florida, where I met my husband. We now live in the United Kingdom. We moved here 12 years ago for the ministry.

 

I used to enjoy cross-stitch, quilting and scrap-booking, but don't get a chance to do them much any more.

 

I've been on the boards since around 2001. They've been my lifeline because home education is so rare here. All of my curriculum decisions are based on recommendations from here. And the emotional support has kept me going. Thank you to everyone for your wisdom, encouragement, and sense of humor. :001_smile:

[elegantlion]

I'm Paula or EL, whichever. We finished our 8th year of homeschooling in May. Ds is our only, which is perfect for us. Dh was a self-employed contractor for many years and has just today taken another job (after a year of near misses on jobs). We have a cat and a dog.

 

My son was born on my mom's birthday and they are best buddies, even at nearly age 15.

 

I adore real books, I write in my spare time, and I would give up cooking if I could.

[WistfulRidge]

I'm Jessica. DH and I have two little boys and recently found out that we are expecting baby #3. We both would really, really love to have a large family so we will see how that plays out in the coming years :)

 

I've been very pro-homeschooling since I was 15 and my mother finally admitted that even though she had doubts, surely she would do a better job with myself and my younger siblings than the local schools! I was very thrilled to realize that there was an online forum "attached" to WTM not long before the birth of DS1. Academics are the primary motivation for us, but also homeschooling just fits better with the type of lifestyle we want as a family.

 

I'm very into self-sufficiency/homesteading, from scratch cooking, gardening etc and I enjoy reading, writing, am teaching myself to sew, and have a very deep, abiding, spiritual love for animals and nature. I also enjoy training and showing dogs and am (not so patiently) waiting for the time when I have the opportunity to really get active in my breed of choice. DH has a similar love and we would really like to show dogs as a family hobby/passion/outright obsession.

[SerenityNow]

Hi... I'm Serenity and this is my first post after 8 long years of lurking!

 

I have two boys (11 & 13) who have always been homeschooled. We started for both academic and social reasons and continue... oh, probably just because we hate to conform to other people's plans and schedules. :001_smile: We share our chaotic home with an ancient St. Bernard and three rescued cats. (Oh! And my husband of 22 years! ;) )

 

My hobbies are books (of course!), Top Gear (BBC version only, please), and random crafty little projects.

 

Thanks for letting me join in!

[Bluegoat]

Hi, I'm Bluegoat. I've only been posting for a little while. I have three kids, 7, 4, and 2, and we've been homeschooling for two years. We homeschool for academic reasons and I guess what you might call environmental reasons. I'm also involved with a group at my church that is looking to start a small classical/CM parochial school and we are going to be offering a Saturday morning Latin program this September.

 

My husband works on a remote island so I am alone about half the year. I have a BA in classics and a diploma in library and information technology, and before having kids I worked in the army.

[jrn]

Hello! I'm a sahm and my kids are in a private Lutheran school. I have 2 girls ages 8 and 10. I'd love to home school, but life's not working out that way so far. I've learned so much from this board and my kids are improving because of it.

I dabble in gardening, crocheting and home improvement.

I collect books, Raggedy Ann dolls, Amish type dolls, vintage toys from my childhood and I love finding old housekeeping type books.

[Parrothead]

Hi... I'm Serenity and this is my first post after 8 long years of lurking!

 

I have two boys (11 & 13) who have always been homeschooled. We started for both academic and social reasons and continue... oh, probably just because we hate to conform to other people's plans and schedules. :001_smile: We share our chaotic home with an ancient St. Bernard and three rescued cats. (Oh! And my husband of 22 years! ;) )

 

My hobbies are books (of course!), Top Gear (BBC version only, please), and random crafty little projects.

 

Thanks for letting me join in!

BBC version is a must! Anything else is just lame.

 

Welcome to the boards.

[Stellalarella]

I'm Jessica. DH and I have two little boys and recently found out that we are expecting baby #3.

 

Congrats!

[iona]

I'm Iona on these boards.

I have a 7, almost 6 and 3 year old. All boys. We just finished our second year of hsing and my mind just turned off. Is that normal?

[rutamattatt]

I am Rutamattatt. :) I've lived in Middle TN for 7 years, and even though I grew up in PA, I can't imagine loving another place more than right outside of Nashville.

 

Been married for 13 years. I met my husband through a former fiance. ;) (It was all on the up and up.) He is my polar opposite - Type A, chart making, detail oriented, math and science loving handsome hunk of man. I studied theater and Christian Education and would be considered by some to be "artsy-fartsy", which somehow rubs me the wrong way. :001_huh:

 

We have three children who delight and exhaust me - DD is 14, DS1 is 10, and DS2 is 7. They are some of my favorite people in the world. We adopted our DD last year in an int'l adoption. It has been an amazing adventure, but our life doesn't look like much other "normal" families I know. Wouldn't go back to "normal" for anything. Have a real heart for older child adoption, and may do this crazy thing again someday...

 

We began homeschooling because we had to due to the adoption process from her home country. I had thought about homeschooling for years, but this really made my husband give the green light to hs all three as we bonded as a new family of five. It has been a fun and challenging year on many levels, and we plan to continue next year. We'll probably decide year to year what we will do.

 

I study martial arts - a curriculum composed of about 8 different styles, and I LOVE it. I will test for my black belt in 2014. I love to read. Love the beach. Have several tattoos and a nose piercing, but am actually very conservative in most ways. I love older people. I love studying world war II and hope someday to take a trip to see Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Bataan, and a concentration camp in Germany. I love The West Wing. People describe me as quick witted and animated. Someday I want to do some more acting, but I am too busy and tired right now!

[Monkey Island Academy]

I'm Michelle and I have enjoyed lurkdom since the old boards. :D We have been homeschooling for 9 years now, mostly because I didn't want to give up hanging out with these cool people I call my kids, but for academic reasons as well. Oldest will begin high school this fall though, and I'm a bit anxious about pulling that off!

 

I grew up in a big city, but we live a quiet life in the country now.

 

Hobbies? Reading, biking w/ my husband, hiking at local state parks, bee keeping (new this year!), and watching Doctor Who, Star Trek, Sherlock, and other Geeky TV shows with the boys.

 

I have never read a crockpot thread and wonder what the hubbub is about. I do occasionally use a crockpot, so hate me if you must.

 

I am currently up to my eyeballs in planning history for next year. Why is it always so stinkin' hard to plan history?

[NancyNellen]

I'm Nancy: mother to 5. I have been coming to these boards since 2001 when I was Nancy in CT. We homeschool for academic excellence and to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

[sthompson]

Hi, I'm Stephanie and I'm a lurker!

 

We are in NWOhio. 3 kids, b, g, b entering 3rd, 1st/2nd(depends on the sub.), and K. We homeschool because sending them away terrified me and now it just seems to fit.

 

I love coming here and learning. Advice/ideas though, I just don't think I have it yet.

 

My hobbies are gardening, reading good mysteries and relaxing.

 

It's nice to 'meet' everyone!

[Mabelen]

I am Mabelen, mom to two girls, ages 15 and 8. I actually only afterschool, mainly in Spanish because that is my mother tongue and the only means of communication with all my family back in Spain. I have been on the boards for over 10 years now. I keep coming here because of the many very knowledgeable and supportive ladies.

[jen3kids]

I'm Jen

 

i've been on the boards for a year and a half, but may be leaving in the fall.

 

My older 2 are both in school. Older ds just finished his first year of public high h and my dd completed 7th grade at a local Montessori school.

 

Younger ds has decided to try a public middle magnet school in the fall. I'm really torn because I'm not so sure he's ready, but he really wants to give it a try, so we're letting him. He's very proud that he was accepted and is excited, but nervous to go.

[Stellalarella]

I enjoy teaching, I love learning about ideas and reading curriculums. I very much enjoy hearing posters on this board share ideas. I am a follower of Christ. I like to cook healthy food from scratch (although I have also recently taken an interest in cupcakes, which are not healthy, but are good for the soul.) I also really like gardening.

I birthed 4 of my children and received 2 by special delivery. :001_smile: I would never have imagined myself as a mother of 6, but here we are. All this has been made possible by the love and support of our church and friends--and for me, personally, by a kind and compassionate husband.

 

We haven't always homeschooled. Four years ago, I brought my middle daughter home and she benefited and I loved teaching. The next year everyone came home and we all enjoyed it. So here we are, ready to begin my fourth year as a home educator.

 

I deeply appreciate the advice and kindness I've received on the WTM board.

Edited June 21, 2012 by Andrea Lowry
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[LittleIzumi]

Hi! I'm *checks user name for this board* LittleIzumi. :lol: (Yes, my MommyBrain is that bad.) I'm LDS, homeschooling two officially this year with one toddler following me around. One child will use a distance charter school for funding my curricula purchases and dance class only.

 

I tried to get banned once but I couldn't make myself break the rules. :lol: My childhood friends would be shocked. I was not expecting to homeschool or be a SAHM. I have my BS. I knit and spin on occasion. I wish I was a vegetarian, but we have too many food allergies in the home for that to be practical. I cloth diaper, homebirth, and nurse. I do not cook well at ALL, and I'm way too lazy for my own good. I'm a freelance editor when jobs come my way and tend towards grammer Naziism, but message boards are generally exempt. Hubby works F/T and is in school F/T most of the year, but I see him for D&D night. :p

[Ewe Mama]

Hi! I'm SheepLadyMama to 5 children, 9 Finnish Landrace sheep, 4 la mancha goats, a very hairy cat, a Morkie, and a 2.5 lb chihuahua. Oh, and I have a wonderful dh of almost 14 years who gracefully puts up with me and our crazy life.

[Mommy22alyns]

I'm Amber and I have two wonderful little girls, Rebecca (9) and Sylvia (7), who are also gymnasts. Rebecca is on a competitive team.

 

I have homeschooled from the start for mostly academic reasons. I never thought I would homeschool; in fact when I was pg with Rebecca we dismissed the idea out of hand.

 

I love baseball (Go Braves!), reading, knitting/crocheting, and hanging out online. I play a lot of FB games. I love Yankee Candles and Bath & Body Works.

 

I've been here since Rebecca turned 5.

[Kalypso]

I'm Kelly. I have been married to my dh for 18 years. We have been homeschooling for 12 years. My kids had all been only homeschooled until last year when my 3 oldest went to a charter school. I have been on the boards since 2008. I lurk more than I post, but I don't know what I would do without these boards. I have learned so much here.