Hello world! Welcome to my newest blog about our adventures in homeschooling. I recently decided to homeschool my children and thought maybe a blog would be fun to include as well as help keep me on track and informative to others.

In March of this year our family grew from three kids to five kids overnight when we got a sibling placement from the state. Due to this development, I had to stop doing daycare for three children, which was paying my son's tuition (in addition to other bills). I began to realize that we would not be able to send my oldest child back to the private school he attended for Kindergarten and 1st grade. I really want to give my kids the best education possible while trying to shelter them, for as long as possible, from the scary things that are becoming more and more prevalent in our society. I don't remember a lot of drugs and alcohol when I was in school, but I did wear my values on my sleeve and so probably wasn't really approached with any of that stuff because of that and certainly didn't seek it out. I guess my school years were probably much more sheltered than a lot of peoples. I now am seeing my teenage nieces and nephews struggling so much with these problems, as well as promiscuity, and it scares me to death. I have to wonder what it will be like in another 8-10 years from now when my oldest gets to high school. It seems as though it just continues to get worse. If I could afford to send all my kids to the faith based private school for the duration of their school years, then I probably would, but I can't, so I had to begin looking at my other options. I know that I cannot shelter them from every bad and negative thing in the world, and will not try, but I will be able to keep some of it from them hopefully until they are old enough to make wise decisions and have a solid foundation under them to keep them steady when the storms roll in.

Homeschooling felt right for us from the first time I started considering it, but I really didn't know where to start and doubted my own ability and education to be able to give them a proper education. I started talking to people who have been homeschooling and asking questions. I was quite amazed at how many people I knew that were homeschooling. They gave me wonderful books to help me and encouragement that I could do it. Just the things I needed.

I really wanted to stick with the classical education curriculum that my oldest had been getting, and found just what I was looking for in the books, "The Well Trained Mind" and "A Thomas Jefferson Education". I did a lot of reading and studying and am feeling confident that I can do this and be successful at it. Right now I tend to fluctuate between being extrememly excited and terrifically terrified. My biggest worry is having the self-discipline to stick with my schedule on weeks when I am not feeling the best. I realize that I feel much better and get much more accomplished when I take care of myself and don't eat a lot of junk food and soda and that will be critical to our success. I also have to be flexible with myself and realize that one of the advantages to homeschooling is the flexibility it offers to us.

So....here we go! I am jumping in with both feet, holding my breath and saying a prayer! I know that most people think I'm crazy. Some say it outright and others just hint at it, but no matter what anyone thinks I have to do what I feel in my heart is right, and this feels right. YEEHAW!!!