Our New Adventure

For as long as I can remember I've been intrigued by homeschooling. I've been a bit envious of families who homeschool. I even had a brief experience with it when I homeschooled Kaylin for 3 yr pre-k. I never thought I could really do it myself though once the girls got older. It just seemed like too big of a responsibility. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to teach them everything they were supposed to know. But I still had that wish deep inside that I was brave enough to do it. We were having such a great experience in public school though, I just never felt an overwhelming need to change anything. We have been blessed with amazing teachers and the girls are doing really well - all are well behaved, well liked, honor roll students. I felt secure with the way things were. But I still have this nagging feeling everytime the girls have to go back to school after a break. It's getting harder and harder to let them go. I want to be able to spend more time with them.

Shortly after Christmas, I just couldn't deny these thougts any longer. I knew that God was putting it on my heart that I could do something about the way I was feeling. I could keep my girls home with me and do this huge thing called homeschooling. But I was still terrified. I asked Jeff what he thought and he said he felt sort of like me - he was intrigued by the thought and the possible benefits, but knew it would be a lot of work. We started praying about it and I began to feel more and more like I could do it. I told Jeff that if I could just get past my fears, I thought I could make a decision. He reminded me that fear is not from God. The enemy knows that if I homeschool my children, the Bible will be a huge part of what they are learning. He knew the best way to prevent that was to place that fear in my way. Once I realized that, I was able to see the fear for what it was.
The next step was to approach the girls to see if they would be open to it. They were more than open. They were very excited about the prospect. No red flags there.
We had already started looking at curriculum and found TONS of wonderful options. We talked and talked about it and discussed the pros and cons. Here is some of what we have discussed along the way...
Pros:
1. We can make our own schedule. We won't be tied down to the public school schedule. We've always wanted to take a trip in the fall to see the leaves change colors in the Northeast. We've always wanted to go out west and see some of the landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, and Yellowstone when it's not in the heat of summertime. We'd love to be able to visit family for special birthdays and the like and not worry about having to rush back for school.
2. We get to spend more time with our girls. Right now, a 24 hour day looks like this... They are sleeping 10 hours. Going to school 7 hours. Trudging through homework 1-2 hours. Yes, they are home during homework time, but it's not time that I am just able to enjoy my children. Then there are usually a few hours of extra curricular activities... dance, gymnastics, Wednesday night church, art lessons, etc. There isn't anything wrong with those extras, in fact, they are good. But after everything is totaled up, we are only getting on average 2-3 hours a day with our girls. 2-3 hours! Out of 24! And those 2-3 hours are filled with rushing around getting out the door for school or fixing dinner or taking baths, etc. There isn't any time left to just sit and be together until the weekend comes. And that just isn't going to work for us anymore.
3. We can use the things they are learning about this world in science, history, literature, and even english and math to teach them about God. My heart's desire is that these girls will fall more in love with God everyday as they are learning about his creation. I am so excited about learning Biblical history alongside world history, teaching science through biblical eyes. All those things make me so anxious to start!
4. The girls can learn at their own pace. They each have their strengths and weaknesses and we can meet them where they are. If they need extra help in one area, we can spend some more time in that. If they are ready move on in another area - why not?
Cons:
1. Expense. We're trying to be wise as we choose curriculum. There are many good options out there, but some are extremely pricey. We're hoping to keep the cost to homeschool 3 girls next year between $500 - $700. That's huge for us. But if we need to pull back in other areas, we are willing to make that sacrifice.
2. They may miss being in school. Right now they are excited. I'm hoping they will stay that way, but I know that the time will come when they realize that there are certain friends they don't see as much of anymore. They will have plenty of opportunities to be with friends, but it's still going to be a big change.
3. The teachers we will miss out on. I still get sad when I think about the teachers that we have had already but will miss out on with the next girls coming up. There is a 1st grade teacher we have had with Kaylin and Annlee who I was excited about having with Maryella next year. We even debated sending just her to school so she could be in that class. I honestly don't think that would fly with Maryella though. I can't imagine that she would want to get up and go to school when her sisters are staying home.
4. Dealing with 3 different personalities, 3 different learning styles, 3 different levels of school. Honestly, I still get panicky thinking of that. But remember where that fear is coming from??? I'm working hard on relying on God that he will help me through. I know he is wanting this for our girls, so I know he will help me the entire way.

For us, the pros outweigh the cons. Nothing can replace knowing that the girls are going to be learning about God everyday as they study. They will understand that there isn't a separation between knowledge and faith. They go hand in hand. I am so excited about all the possibilities this will bring for our family. I'll try to keep things updated here, but honestly, I may be too busy spending time with my family. After all, that's what this decision is really all about. Faith and family. It's so exciting, I can hardly wait! Next school year can't come soon enough for me! Please keep our family in your prayers as we embark on this adventure! God bless you all and your families as well!