Home-schooling: OUR choice!

Hello World!

Hello, and Welcome to our madness lives. This blog was started for many purposes:
 1^st as a memory for my children,
 2^nd as a way to hold myself accountable,
3^rd to keep records,
4^th to allow those who doubt, a peek into our world,
and last but not least for enjoyment.

 I would like to introduce you to my family,  

 We are a homeschooling (I like how this is always underlined in red, like there is no such word) family of 4. Our days are filled with structured “school” lessons, life lessons, family time, and most important GOD. We strive each and everyday to walk in his will, which lead us to the reason(s) we home-school (what is the proper way to spell this anyway?)


          I image we have some of the same issues and struggles as each of you have/had that pertain to the reasons we all chose this road. My two older children attended public school before we set out on God’s path.
     Do you realize the number of hours they are way from you? Mom and Dad are here to be the most influential person in the life of their children, how can this be if the child spends a total of 6 (give or take)sleepless hours a day with his parents and a total of 9 hours within the PS system. Not to mention, those allotted hours we get are spent getting ready for school, driving to school or waiting for the bus, driving back from school (with parent if lucky), doing homework, doing what chores time allows, eating, and then getting ready to do it all again.  And believe me we almost NEVER got it all done! So, I ask, who is raising our children? After going through the higher education system to join in the ranks believe me when I say, " YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!!!" (of course I have to admint there are a few good apples put there by GOD)


        Any way back to the point, Princesa (which will be her nickname for all intense & purposes) went to PS in kindergarten where she did fairly well and was on target for everything, but the same could be said for my son whom we will call Prince. He attended PS for 4 years (K-3^rd). Let’s just face it life happens and sometimes we are forced to move, and we all know PS districts are not on the same wave link. In 1^st grade he was put into a system that was failing BAD! Needless to say he got way behind (which was not realized until later!). We ended up having to stay within the same school district for 2^nd grade (princesa still not in school) so I chose to enroll him out of zone and we swallowed the gas bill! The school in which he attended was a “top district school” in the area, so he did well with what he had. Then 3^rd grade rolls around he and Princesa attended this same school, again the gas bill!


       Third grade was the catch! We realized just how much he had drifted behind, there was NO catching up. His grades plummeted, everything from handwriting (which was never worked on outside of home) to math! For this to be a “top” school I think I had all but 2 mandatory visits with the teacher, beginning of the year and midway to the end. The last visit was to inform me that if he did not work and his math during the summer he would not understand anything and fall behind during 4^th grade. (You are kidding right! YOU are going to allow him to move on AGAIN without a foundation, and oh, he did not qualify for summer school.)

        So I took this knowledge and my frustrations home, and fumed for the rest of the school year. We went shopping for workbooks to use during the summer. I planned out a hole math unit for him. In the mist of doing this a light bulb went off  "why don’t I keep them home to learn" after all we had neighbors who did this and I could always lean on them for guidance (and believe you me, I got it, sometimes more then I could stand). Plus I was not willing Princesa get pushed aside (she has been diagnosed with ADHD and ODD along with some sensory issues) So I turned to God and begin praying about it. The funny thing was, I was already attending “home-school” with distance learning at UOP. I believed at the time this was God’s calling to become a elementary teacher but through the prayers for my children I realized God’s ultimate goal, My experience with the EDU system was to open my eyes to the PS environment, and to reinforce my decision to educate my children myself through the knowledge and strength of God.

        I have to admint it has been a rough 2 years. We have had everything possible we could handle thrown at us. From the non-support of family members (I’m sure most have been in the same boat), to financial issues, family crises, health issues, to the all well known burn-out. But through GOD we have stood Strong and will continue to do so! So to all who read, and you know who you are, this was not a decision taken lightly, many sleepless nights were put into this decision, but this will be the road we continue on until GOD lets me know otherwise. So sit back and enjoy the journey through our days at Castle Academy! (Where we are serving the KING of kings)

Brandy