Ohmystinkinheck

A new school year is upon us and as most of you know we are homeschooling this year. It has been 3 years since I last homeschooled the kids and though I’m sure it’ll be an adjustment, I feel really relaxed about it all. I know my children’s learning styles and even though they’ve been schooled away from me the past few years, I have been actively involved in their education and homework, so it really is no big deal.

Plus, it was just time. There are a few things we aren’t in agreement with in our local school system, and this way we can structure our day’s more smoothly and get the type of learning we desire - a more literature-based/classical approach.

Emelie was thrilled when all the books came in. She would have torn into the 4 large boxes way before I did, but I knew the kind of inventory necessary for a stash of books and supplies that big, so I put it off a while. Sunday we began unpacking and she couldn’t hardly stay away. She begged me to start school TODAY, but I wanted another week to get on my new work schedule and lay by the pool, so we’re starting after Labor Day.

Meredith, on the other hand, was taken aback by the stacks all over the living room floor. I wish I could have captured her face when she came running through the front door to get a drink of water. She caught one quick look and heard Emelie say, “Look Meredith! These are all YOUR BOOKS!” She looked at the books, then me, and then the books again and said, “Summer’s over?! ALREADY?!”

If you ask Meredith her favorite subject she doesn’t even have to think about it. “P.E.!”

She was switched at birth, I just know it.

Today, she busied herself with protecting the home from scavengers of some sort. When Kenny wouldn’t play along, she dropped that game and decided to protect the chickens from wild beasts instead.

Gun slung over her shoulder, she’s the perfect NRA poster child. Can’t you see the tagline?

“This princess can protect her own castle; can yours?”

The school year should be interesting. Bribing her to come INSIDE is about the same difficulty level as bathing a cat.

Ever tried that?

EXACTLY!

28 Responses to “This teacher DOES live in the school.”

1. Keri

   *sigh* I remember homeschooling with such fondness…

   Enjoy! :)

2. Bree

   I have always thought of homeschooling..afraid I just don’t have it in me. I guess I wouldn’t know until I tried right?
   Have a great year! Have fun!

3. Kari

   Hi, I’m Kari, and I’m a lurker.

   I’ve been enjoying your blog for about a year, but I don’t think I’ve ever commented. I happen to be a Sonlight user myself. I blogged about our “box day” last February.

   http://errabundusbus.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-brain-has-been-otherwise-occupied.html

   Here’s to an amazing year!
   Kari

4. Margaret

   We use the Sonlight reading list for my son, I just finished reading The Bronze Bow, it is excellent! I think I am more excited than he is :).

   m

5. Kim R.

   Enjoy the wonderful new books and supplies - as a child I always was so excited to get my new books, notebooks and sharp pencils. Shhhh…. I still love school supplies at 42.

6. Liz C.

   The kids have bugged me enough that we’re “officially” back to it this week. We hit the library Friday, and loaded up on books for our science unit. I do wish I’d had the camera batteries charged when my son started pestering me to “get started early” Friday afternoon… and I told him, “No, Col, you have to wait until Monday to read any of those books. They’re for school. You can’t read them before school starts.”

   His jaw just dropped. My oldest started snickering (she “gets” sarcasm now), and I finally couldn’t stand it anymore, and laughed. He was a Bit Put Out that I would tease him like that.

   And then we got home and he spent the next two hours pouring over his herpetology field guide.

   I’m excited for others to be excited about learning at home–can’t wait to follow the OMSHousehold’s adventures. My daughter’s best friend’s family is starting to home school this year, and I keep getting the most excited emails and phone calls from the Mom. She’s loving it!

7. mary

   I am so fascinated by homeschooling. I’d love to hear about how a “typical” day goes, and more details…like what the structure is (for example: how you teach 3 kids at different levels?) I’m so curious about it.

8. chocolatechic

   Have fun.

   We just started our sixth week of school.

9. MMM

   That one may have to be schooled OUTSIDE! ;^)

10. Claire in CA, USA

    We’re officially starting next week, but both kids have done various stuff this summer. My son would have the same reaction as Meredith…at 12, he’s just not the greatest reader, and that would be overwhelming. So, we do other stuff, and I’m confident he’ll get to the point that he can read well enough to devour books in one bite. Until then, we adjust. No problem. That’s one of the reasons I love homeschooling - teaching to the kid, not the curriculum. :-)

11. OMSH

    Claire in CA, USA - Definitely teach the kid, not the curriculum. Although Meredith loves to read. She even likes learning, but she LOOOOOOOOVES the summer and being outside playing hard. I think it crushes her heart every time a new school year rolls around. THOUGH this year at least she won’t be sitting in a classroom for 8 hours a day!

12. JackieW. transplanted Okie (Buried in Legos)

    I run an all boyz school in Kansas !

13. Kate

    Yes, the excitement is building. Hope you get off to a great start - I can’t wait to hear how things go.

    I considered trying to homeschool my son but we’ll see how he does in regular school. Hubby wasn’t on board with the idea of homeschooling and I can’t do it without his support. :)

14. Octamom

    We’re starting our 11th year homeschooling (how is that even possible?)–I always loved doing Sonlight–moving and twins has shifted us back into more of a workbook curriculum, but we all have such fond memories of being curled up with our piles of books!

    Blessings!

15. Christina in MO

    I am so excited for everyone! Out of pure curiosity (eh hem noseyness) why are the kids not in public this year? I’m not complaining mind you.. mine doesn’t attend public either.. just curious. Wondering if your reasons are similar to ours.

16. Mr. OMSH

    I think Meredith gets her teeth from her uncle Jethro who lives over the next hill. She is beautiful though, ain’t she?

17. OMSH

    Christina in MO - My two youngest were in the most amazing school, but on top of the fact that our school superintendent sorta bites (okay, REALLY bites), and our schools are suffering financially, he decided to close down one of our schools, make it a paying pre-k, and re-zone.

    Which for us, meant we’d be zoned to a different school.

    I have friends who have taught in that school - I wasn’t sending my kids there.

    And so, I’m homeschooling again. I would have been active in their education either way.

    And of course, we know that our kids will be exposed to more learning at home than at school. Teachers simply cannot offer the same kind of one-on-one, field trips, extended social gatherings, etc…

    We are part of our local homeschool group - which has co-ops, field trips, gathering, and support.

    Not to mention that we CAN and WILL teach Science in its full form - including CREATION, as well as introducing all other views (unlike the school system who are only interested in a theory that not only can’t be supported, but is being refuted with more and more proof on a daily basis).

    It was just ‘time’ for us to get back to homeschooling. :)

18. mommyknows

    Like Bree, I am not sure I have it in me. Scared!

    However, I am just curious, which if any, of the children would prefer to go to ’school’ rather than ‘home school’?

19. Mrs. Wilson

    haha, I guess I should have read this before I emailed you!

    Glad to hear your kids are excited!! I’d love to do it in the future, but definitely not now. I need to get PATIENCE first!

20. naomi

    hmmm…i wonder if some of her books come on tape. that way she could have the best of both worlds, at least for a while. she’d be getting the education you want her to get and she could be on the move outside. or you could set up an outdoor classroom for as long as the weather stays suitable.

21. OMSH

    mommyknows - Meredith would like summer to be indefinite. Kenny and Em are excited.

    naomi - We have a covered back porch with a large table and an overhead fan. What do you bet she’ll do a LOT of her work there?

22. Annika

    Yay homeschooling! And you know the best way to bathe a cat: let it bathe itself.

23. The Wooden Porch

    She’s a girl after my own heart!

24. Stefani

    OMG! I’d buy that poster and hang it above the mantle!

    Happy new homeschooling year! And you know… I say just do school outside… gun in hand :-)

25. Dana

    Well, welcome back to homeschooling! :) And your little Meredith reminds me a bit of my little Mouse (9yo daughter). She will happily retreat to the roof to read, however. I wonder if a fortress in the attic would entice her to her math book?

26. Mrs. G.

    I won’t let my son open the Calvert box until Tuesday-I’m not sacrificing one extra lazy day.

    I have a problem with solicitors-could I borrow your girl for a week. I believe she could set things straight?

27. nancypants

    Good on ya! We have never really stopped homeschooling… my kids have never gone to school. (Eek! We’ve ruined them!!… kidding.) Re-entry is always a bit rough on me. I really like my summers, ya know? ((sigh)) Soon enough though it will be snowing (I live in Canada don’t ya know.) and there will be nothing to do outside and school will be the only thing to keep us busy.

28. Back to Home School at Today’s Homemaker

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