Homeschooling my children means I'm with them 24/7 (minus the occasional date night) We are here together day in and out, rain or shine and the remarkable thing is that if you asked any of my children not one of them would opt to ever go to school. They love being together and being with us but this is not to say that we never have stressful days or times when they argue with one another. We are a typical family, with typical issues living an atypical lifestyle.
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We've been blessed with two cherry trees in our back yard. Every spring we look forward to those little green bulbs turning into bright red cherries ready for the picking. To say we have a lot of cherries stored in our freezer is an understatement. Thankfully I have the perfect cobbler recipe passed down from my mother, her mother before her and her mother before her. Some of my best recipes come down from my great-grandmother. She was a very special, Godly woman who lived until a few months before her 100th birthday. This recipe is by far the easiest and most delicious cobbler recipe I've come across. Any kind of fruit can be used (I personally prefer strawberry) but since we have cherries to be used, cherry is the fruit of choice tonight. I have found that for this recipe my 9 inch round pie dish/tortilla warmer works wonderfully.
Over the past seven years we've encountered many different praises and negativity from people concerning our decision to homeschool. A very common misconception we hear quite often is that our children will be socially inept and unable to interact in the "real world". I marvel at the boldness of strangers. When we began our homeschooling journey we had first and third graders and two babies. At that time how they would handle social situations in college or in the workforce truly was the furthest thing from our minds. Now with two teens in the house I'd be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind. Of course I want my children to be able to interact in society, within reason of course. I don't want my children to become social cookie cutters, following the crowd, submitting to the "norm". My chief desire is to raise confident, self-sufficient children who are independent thinkers and do not wait for someone to tell them what to do but rather take charge and above all else live their lives according to the will of God. Although it wasn't in the forefront of my mind when they were little, I think the things we have done all along have been working towards this goal. After all it's not something that is achieved overnight. Over the years as a mother I've been known out of frazzled frustration to question "how do I get it all done?" or even "is it possible to get it all done?". Mountains of laundry, piles of toys, dishes to clean, corners to dust, noses to wipe, diapers to change and the list goes on. As a homeschool mom I find that question looms overhead even more as these days I've traded the dirty diapers for teaching algebra to a high schooler and phonics to the littles, not to mention field trips, library visits and co-op classes. So really, is it possible to get everything done everyday? I'm beginning to believe the answer is yes and no. A: Amazon.com!!
B: Bible study first thing in the morning C: Cocoa and reading on cold winter mornings D: Doing schoolwork outside when the weather is nice E: in Everything give thanks! F: Family game nights G: Giggles with brothers and sisters We woke up this morning to several inches of snow. This obviously made the kids very excited as they set out to find multiple layers of clothes. In these moments I'm thankful for the age our kids are now, where they can all get their own clothes and boots on and go out without me. Of course I still have to help the littles get their boots on after their hands are bundled in gloves but for the most part everyone in this house is fairly self-sufficient. It's bittersweet I suppose.
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About MeI'm Becca, a former chocolate junkie, herbal enthusiast, curriculum writer, homeschool mom to four active kids, wife to my jack of all trades hubby, blessed child of God. Archives
November 2018
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The Essential Blog
Essential homeschooling is not about trying to mimic a classroom setting at home, expensive curriculum and stressful learning. It's setting our eyes on Christ and offering up our lives for His service. It's finding simplicity in daily living and loving each other, embracing the challenges and cherishing the moment because we know these years won't last and what we instill in our children today will determine who they will be tomorrow.