My kids were in public school for 13 days. Except for Jacob, who just couldn't get over the possibility that he may get an answer wrong, they all adjusted wonderfully. The boys were all at the top of their class and blowing reading level tests out of the water. Their teachers were extremely nice and good at what they do. Three of them loved PE, recess, and eating in the cafeteria (especially ice cream!). The other one loved computer lab. They hated coming home to homework every afternoon and waking up so early, but what kids love that?
To put into words the reason we brought them back home - I'm not sure I can do that. I've put off writing this blog for a few days now. So many people will have so many different opinions and I'm not one to run head-first into conflict. But, since this blog is my way to journal our life and my thoughts, I'm going to try to explain our decision.
From the moment we found out we would be parents, Kyle knew he wanted me to homeschool. Coming from the viewpoint of a public school teacher, there was no way I was considering that. My kids would not be the isolated, weird kids that I had stereotyped in my mind. We did the pre-school thing and life was cruising along.
The year Lucas turned 5, we had a dilemma. Since his birthday is Sept. 7, he missed the cut-off for Kindergarten by 6 days. But, this boy was more than ready for school. He was well beyond what most sets of Kindergarten skills included and I knew he couldn't wait another year to start school. So I got a few books and we "did kindergarten" that year. And we've been "doing school" at home since then.
Teaching the older kids with younger ones running around wasn't always easy. In fact, it left me in tears many days. I vowed that once Ellie was in kindergarten, they would all go to private school.
Ellie entered kindergarten this year. And the money for 4 kids in private school? There was a big sign on our bank account that said "funds not available." Since we had just moved to a much smaller area, I decided to check out the public schools.
I found out they weren't stellar. In fact, if you just looked at their test scores you would probably question that anyone at the school knew what they were doing. But the more I researched, the more I realized that in a lower-income rural area schools are often full of students who have little to no support at home. And it shows up big time in their education. As a teacher, I knew that the best teacher could be in the classroom and still not have perfect test scores.
The teachers seemed nice enough, the kids looked normal enough - so I pushed and pushed my husband until he relented.
Maybe that was my first mistake. :)
I signed them up and they started school 3 weeks ago on a trial basis. We would wait until Labor Day and discuss their progress.
And since this post is so incredibly long and I must go fulfill my promise to the kids by taking them to the bakery downtown and getting smiley face cookies I will continue later ......
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The first day of school has come and gone and we all made it through. Getting the kids up at 6:30 yesterday morning was a breeze. Which is a complete miracle since homeschooling never started before 9:30am. Morning people my kids are not.
I had timed the trip earlier in the week and it took exactly 9 minutes. We left at 7:25 to give us a little extra time since there would probably be a little more traffic. And traffic there was. Oh, the traffic. Did I mention the traffic??? Whatever person decided to put 2 elementary schools, the middle school, and highschool all on the same road should have his degree revoked. The school starting times don't even vary - they're all the same. So the entire county is filing through one street. We were not prepared. The kids arrived at school after 8:00 as did half the other kids and at least one teacher.
Lucas would not let us walk him into his classroom. Evidently 5th graders do not enjoy Mommies hugs & kisses in front of friends. Who knew? :) The other kids were definitely okay with us walking with them. So we did. I cannot express what it's like to watch my kids go into the unknown all alone after being at home under my watch for so long. But I was proud of them for being so brave and I knew they were ready.
I met Amy in Madison for lunch, which was a wonderful thing. Had I come home alone there's no telling how many old videos I would have watched of the kids in their younger days while singing "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof. I kid - there would have been no singing. But the videos would've definitely been going on.
After a 45 minute wait in the car line, I finally saw my kids. The smiles I saw when they spotted me were priceless. Those 4 smiles will forever be ingrained in my memory because it was affirmation from God that they were going to be okay. Like He promised, He had been and will continue to be with them. And they're in much better hands when I turn them over to Him than when I try to hold on tightly to them.
All of the kids had much to say about the first day - Lucas made a good friend already, which doesn't surprise me since I think the whole reason that child was put on this earth was to talk to people. He liked his classes okay, but recess was awesome, evidently. And, though the youngest in the 5th grade, he is not the shortest, so life is good.
Noah had a good day. He almost lined up with the wrong class at recess (why does that make me almost cry?) but found his way back to where he belonged. He liked 3rd grade, but can't wait for Christmas holiday. Poor child doesn't realize he'll have 3 breaks before then. :)
Jacob had a good day in 2nd grade and gave it a B+. He had to do spelling which he claims is his worst subject. But the cafeteria food smelled really good and those chicken fingers and french fries looked delicious and can he please please eat in the cafeteria one day?
Ellie's report: We had fun. We played on the playground.
And that my friends, is Kindergarten in a nutshell.
I had timed the trip earlier in the week and it took exactly 9 minutes. We left at 7:25 to give us a little extra time since there would probably be a little more traffic. And traffic there was. Oh, the traffic. Did I mention the traffic??? Whatever person decided to put 2 elementary schools, the middle school, and highschool all on the same road should have his degree revoked. The school starting times don't even vary - they're all the same. So the entire county is filing through one street. We were not prepared. The kids arrived at school after 8:00 as did half the other kids and at least one teacher.
Lucas would not let us walk him into his classroom. Evidently 5th graders do not enjoy Mommies hugs & kisses in front of friends. Who knew? :) The other kids were definitely okay with us walking with them. So we did. I cannot express what it's like to watch my kids go into the unknown all alone after being at home under my watch for so long. But I was proud of them for being so brave and I knew they were ready.
I met Amy in Madison for lunch, which was a wonderful thing. Had I come home alone there's no telling how many old videos I would have watched of the kids in their younger days while singing "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof. I kid - there would have been no singing. But the videos would've definitely been going on.
After a 45 minute wait in the car line, I finally saw my kids. The smiles I saw when they spotted me were priceless. Those 4 smiles will forever be ingrained in my memory because it was affirmation from God that they were going to be okay. Like He promised, He had been and will continue to be with them. And they're in much better hands when I turn them over to Him than when I try to hold on tightly to them.
All of the kids had much to say about the first day - Lucas made a good friend already, which doesn't surprise me since I think the whole reason that child was put on this earth was to talk to people. He liked his classes okay, but recess was awesome, evidently. And, though the youngest in the 5th grade, he is not the shortest, so life is good.
Noah had a good day. He almost lined up with the wrong class at recess (why does that make me almost cry?) but found his way back to where he belonged. He liked 3rd grade, but can't wait for Christmas holiday. Poor child doesn't realize he'll have 3 breaks before then. :)
Jacob had a good day in 2nd grade and gave it a B+. He had to do spelling which he claims is his worst subject. But the cafeteria food smelled really good and those chicken fingers and french fries looked delicious and can he please please eat in the cafeteria one day?
Ellie's report: We had fun. We played on the playground.
And that my friends, is Kindergarten in a nutshell.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
School
Tomorrow morning marks a seriously huge life change for our family. All 4 kids will be in school.
Almost 10 years ago, we made the decision that I would be at home with our kids at any cost.
I was fine with that. There was nothing else I wanted to do but stay home with my babies.
But, as those babies grew and school came into sight, the decision was harder. After much prayer, homeschooling became our way of life. Honestly, it wasn't my idea and I was not wholeheartedly into it. God has a way of changing hearts, though, and soon I was completely on board. I loved homeschooling. Yes, there were many days that ended in tears - both mine and the kids - and days I called Kyle saying "I QUIT! I can't do this anymore!!" But isn't that life? Everyday doesn't always meet our desire for a perfect life. We re-evaluated our decision at the end of each school year to see if homeschooling was the way to go, always ending up at the same conclusion. Overall, homeschooling was, and still is, the best thing we have ever done.
When it was time to talk about school decisions last spring we knew that there was a huge possibility we would be moving. My immediate thought was that I'd never place my beloved offspring into those schools. After all, everyone we had talked to said private schooling or homeschooling was the ONLY way to go here. So it seemed pretty firm that homeschooling would, once again, be our life. And that was great.
Except that I couldn't get those public schools out of my head. I visited the school, talked to people, and prayed, prayed, prayed. I agonized and changed my mind 3 times. Finally, after a lot of prayer and a heart to heart with Kyle, we registered the kids in the public school. Lots of people thought (and still think) we are crazy. But we've had a lot of support too. And since signing them up, I've heard glowing things about the school.
Yesterday was meet the teacher day. I was so encouraged when we left. The kid's teachers all seem to be wonderful. Noah is in a class with another little boy with Asperger's and an inclusion teacher to help him through difficulties he'll have. Jacob's teacher seems to be so much fun and very nurturing and Ellie's Kindergarten teacher's personality was just what you'd imagine a Kindergarten teacher to be. Lucas' teacher seems really firm - just what that boy needs! God is so very good and faithful.
So tomorrow morning I will load up the kids and drop them off. They're nervous, but excited to start this new adventure. I will keep myself together until dropping them off, and then I'm sure the dam will break loose. It's very hard to cut those apron strings, but I know my kids are ready for this. They know "whose" they are and are ready to live out the gospel in their own way.
God certainly has a way of changing our plans. Our life is a testimony to that. Quite an adventure, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
Almost 10 years ago, we made the decision that I would be at home with our kids at any cost.
I was fine with that. There was nothing else I wanted to do but stay home with my babies.
But, as those babies grew and school came into sight, the decision was harder. After much prayer, homeschooling became our way of life. Honestly, it wasn't my idea and I was not wholeheartedly into it. God has a way of changing hearts, though, and soon I was completely on board. I loved homeschooling. Yes, there were many days that ended in tears - both mine and the kids - and days I called Kyle saying "I QUIT! I can't do this anymore!!" But isn't that life? Everyday doesn't always meet our desire for a perfect life. We re-evaluated our decision at the end of each school year to see if homeschooling was the way to go, always ending up at the same conclusion. Overall, homeschooling was, and still is, the best thing we have ever done.
When it was time to talk about school decisions last spring we knew that there was a huge possibility we would be moving. My immediate thought was that I'd never place my beloved offspring into those schools. After all, everyone we had talked to said private schooling or homeschooling was the ONLY way to go here. So it seemed pretty firm that homeschooling would, once again, be our life. And that was great.
Except that I couldn't get those public schools out of my head. I visited the school, talked to people, and prayed, prayed, prayed. I agonized and changed my mind 3 times. Finally, after a lot of prayer and a heart to heart with Kyle, we registered the kids in the public school. Lots of people thought (and still think) we are crazy. But we've had a lot of support too. And since signing them up, I've heard glowing things about the school.
Yesterday was meet the teacher day. I was so encouraged when we left. The kid's teachers all seem to be wonderful. Noah is in a class with another little boy with Asperger's and an inclusion teacher to help him through difficulties he'll have. Jacob's teacher seems to be so much fun and very nurturing and Ellie's Kindergarten teacher's personality was just what you'd imagine a Kindergarten teacher to be. Lucas' teacher seems really firm - just what that boy needs! God is so very good and faithful.
So tomorrow morning I will load up the kids and drop them off. They're nervous, but excited to start this new adventure. I will keep myself together until dropping them off, and then I'm sure the dam will break loose. It's very hard to cut those apron strings, but I know my kids are ready for this. They know "whose" they are and are ready to live out the gospel in their own way.
God certainly has a way of changing our plans. Our life is a testimony to that. Quite an adventure, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
"come listen to a story 'bout......"
One fine day I'll get around to writing a post about our move down to mizzabill (as Ellie likes to call it). But that would involve me actually making coherent sentences and forming paragraphs and, since it's somewhere between 99 and 200 degrees outside and the sun shines straight into my house in the middle of the afternoon, that's not possible for me. But soon, my friends, soon. A post is coming - along with pictures.
However, there's a new adventure about to take place in our house. For reasons much too lengthy to write about, we registered the kids in the public school here on a trial basis. After a month, should it not be going well, we will bring them back home. And, no matter what, it's only for this year. Depending on who you talk to, we're either totally smart or amazingly stupid. I'll let you know in a few weeks.
Anyhoo - I took the kids to register them last week and we were allowed to wander freely about the school. My boys were so excited about every little thing. "Wow!" "Look at that!" "Do we get to go in there?" "They have COMPUTERS!" "Can we eat in the cafeteria?" "There's a water fountain!!"
I just laughed and prayed that none of the staff heard their sheer amazement - we were definitely "the Clampetts go to school." For now, I will enjoy this time of wonderment and excitement. 'Cause in a couple of weeks, bless their poor naive hearts, they'll be singing another tune.
However, there's a new adventure about to take place in our house. For reasons much too lengthy to write about, we registered the kids in the public school here on a trial basis. After a month, should it not be going well, we will bring them back home. And, no matter what, it's only for this year. Depending on who you talk to, we're either totally smart or amazingly stupid. I'll let you know in a few weeks.
Anyhoo - I took the kids to register them last week and we were allowed to wander freely about the school. My boys were so excited about every little thing. "Wow!" "Look at that!" "Do we get to go in there?" "They have COMPUTERS!" "Can we eat in the cafeteria?" "There's a water fountain!!"
I just laughed and prayed that none of the staff heard their sheer amazement - we were definitely "the Clampetts go to school." For now, I will enjoy this time of wonderment and excitement. 'Cause in a couple of weeks, bless their poor naive hearts, they'll be singing another tune.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Noah-isms
Noah has quite a lot to say on some days and is completely silent on others. But when he does say something, I listen. It's often profound. Or so hilariously funny I have to disguise my laugh as a coughing fit. They usually come out of the blue. We can be talking about swimming and Noah will suddenly pipe in with a bit about England or some other random topic.
Here are some quotes of the past few days:
"I have a stomach of steel. I'm always hungry.....except when I'm full."
"If Fat Albert were real, he'd have diabetes."
"It's a good things Mville has lots of trees. That way there's oxygen so we can breathe. If there
weren't any trees we would all suffocate and die."
When being introduced to a co-worker of Kyle's, Noah's response was:
"Hola. Mi nombre es Noe." We had never even heard him speak Spanish before, and
certainly not to introduce himself to someone!
The following happened a few months ago, but still makes me laugh.
We were at the dentist and Noah climbed up in the chair. The dentist said "Are you playing baseball too?" (Lucas had just had his turn and had been talking about baseball).
"No," Noah said.
"What are you doing right now, then?" the dentist asked, expecting an answer of all the extra-curricular activities Noah was involved in.
"Sitting in this chair," Noah replied. Ah.... the literal mind of an Asperger's child.
Here are some quotes of the past few days:
"I have a stomach of steel. I'm always hungry.....except when I'm full."
"If Fat Albert were real, he'd have diabetes."
"It's a good things Mville has lots of trees. That way there's oxygen so we can breathe. If there
weren't any trees we would all suffocate and die."
When being introduced to a co-worker of Kyle's, Noah's response was:
"Hola. Mi nombre es Noe." We had never even heard him speak Spanish before, and
certainly not to introduce himself to someone!
The following happened a few months ago, but still makes me laugh.
We were at the dentist and Noah climbed up in the chair. The dentist said "Are you playing baseball too?" (Lucas had just had his turn and had been talking about baseball).
"No," Noah said.
"What are you doing right now, then?" the dentist asked, expecting an answer of all the extra-curricular activities Noah was involved in.
"Sitting in this chair," Noah replied. Ah.... the literal mind of an Asperger's child.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
normality
Is that even a word? Things here have been pretty routine and normal for us lately. Which is a great thing and I'm certainly not complaining. But what's normal, really? Here's what my kids were doing today:
Just a few notes:
1) Yes, they are playing in the garage. It's fun evidently.
2) No, I don't know what Jacob is doing. Some new sport he made up.
3) Yes, Noah is playing with pool noodles.
4) Yes, Ellie is in her pjs. She changed into them after school.
5) Yes, Lucas has grown about 2 feet in the past month. (he's on a bug hunt, by the way).
1) Yes, they are playing in the garage. It's fun evidently.
2) No, I don't know what Jacob is doing. Some new sport he made up.
3) Yes, Noah is playing with pool noodles.
4) Yes, Ellie is in her pjs. She changed into them after school.
5) Yes, Lucas has grown about 2 feet in the past month. (he's on a bug hunt, by the way).
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