Adventures in homeschooling

I've been homeschooling now for 6 years..  Each and every year I question weather or not I am qualified enough to do this.. And each and every year I come to the same conclusion..

 No.

But I strongly believe that public schools are not right for my family so I plug on creating a wake in my path trying to do the right thing.. It is probably the hardest thing I have ever done.. Only because I do it day after day.. Week after week.. Month after month, celebrating with more gusto than my kids when school is over.. Because then I no longer have... deadlines, tests, or test scores to dread.. That was until now..

We had always been a charter school "homeschooler" I was never labeled the teacher and that often baffled me since I was the one teaching the children.. their "teachers" lived a 100 miles away and only scored their tests that I gave to my children, scrounged for a envelope, screeched like a cow (do cows screech?) when I found that the stamps that cost me a arm and a leg was used as stickers  to remember to mail this test... Jumping from one to another trying to find the curriculum that I could easily teach my children and that they could learn.. and retain it.. that was the main problem.. retaining all the information I was cramming down their throats so their test scores would be good..

Never worked..

Last year I thought I finally found the perfect Charter school.. I was able to order what material I wanted.. WOW! that sounds perfect! the only problem was ( the start of many)I never ordered my own.. it was always done for me and I had no clue where to start.. Luckily my sister gave me some pointers and I got mostly what I needed..  I was sold a load of ..something..  they promoted unschooling but I don't even think they had a clue what that is.. week after week there was something I wasn't doing right or fast enough.. I marked on my calendar the dreaded portfolio due dates knowing that I wasn't going to perform according to this Wardens expectations.. the kids where stressed.. I was stressed.. my husband was sick and tired of hearing me stressed..

 So we quit.. That first week was like being let out of jail.. there was actually sun shinning.. the portfolio due date came and went and I was joyous knowing I didn't have to dread opening up my emails to read how I was a lousy parent and was letting my children down...
I do enough of that on my own thank you very much I don't need it from anyone else.

So here we are.. going where many have gone before.. Venturing out into this land of no due dates or test scores... actually being called the teacher of my children..  getting more done and retained then we ever did.. it is amazing what a simple "Go jump in a lake we don't want you anymore" can do..

Here is a link I found when I should have been helping the kids.. but you know it is often more fun to look for school books than it is to make your kids read them..

Why I found this helpful:

I believe it is WAY better than Ebay and most of the sellers have the postage already in the price so you know what your paying for.

And this .. for those busy weeks when you know you wont have time.

Why I found this helpful:

To many times do I find myself elbow deep in dishes, bread dough, or helping someone figure out what a preposition is, and one of the other kids who knows how to push my buttons comes up with a " I am a abused child who has to do their schoolwork" look on their face asking what do they do now? a simple 'do science, history or read a book'doesn't do the trick because they are already brain dead from adding 2+2=5 so the conversation goes something like this.. Me "Do some science" little ingrate pushing my buttons (lipmb) "What? where is my science book?" Me.. already tired and the 4th cup of coffee wore off several hours ago but the side affects are still there clinches teeth and snarls " I don't knooooowwww fffffffiiiiiinnnnddd IT!!" Lipmb " why are you yelling at me!" switching the abused child who has to do schoolwork to the abused child who did nothing to cause their mother to have anger "WHATEVER!! JUST GO OUTSIDE!!!! Lipmpb "waaaaaaaaaa.. your so mean waaaaaaaaa" doors slam and they escape once again and I end up not enforcing doing science/history.......  Again.