Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling.  Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back.  Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.

I enjoyed school as a young child. My elementary school was small and was truly one of those places where everyone knew everyone else. There were no reasons to fear other classmates in those days. Discipline was taught at home and it carried over to the classroom. The worst things to happen at school were of course the dreaded cliques. We had three at our school. The rich kids, the poor kids and the real smart kids.Every once and a while a bully might appear but it never lasted long. Corporal punishment had a way of warming the backside and changing attitudes. The only time we had guns in the classroom was when we were required to take our TWRA Hunter's Safety Course. Sadly all that changed when I entered high school. Times had began to change and so had people. Guns at school and bomb threats were a common occurence. Still , what choice did we have. Home school was something you could do if you were sick but that was it as far as most people knew.

Fast forward to my oldest DD's kindergarten years. She was sick everyday at school.We had to pick her up early nearly every day. She developed asthma and most days would get violently ill because she couldn't breath. Her teacher (whom I had known since I was in first grade) said she was just too shy (yes she was a little shy but that was not the problem, she loved being with her friends) and it was a habit she developed so she could go home. Needless to say I had some choice words for her. Doctor visits were very common. We tried to isolate triggers for her asthma. Finally we pinpointed it. It was the "circle time" rug in her room. I asked that the rug be removed...no. I asked that she be switched to another class...no. Her doctor said, do something quick. At this time she was using an emergency inhaler and taking several breathing treatments a day. I went to her principal (who had been my second and third grade teacher) and told her I was withdrawing her for the rest of the school year and would homeschool her. Remember I knew you could do this for sick kids. She told me what a big mistake I was making. Of course this brought forth more choice words from me about how the system was failing my child.Same scenerio with her teacher when I went to pick her up from class that day. When she stopped going to public school her symptoms disappeared.After a while she was able to stop her breathing treatments and her inhaler use dropped.

I liked homeschooling her. She was a fast learner and we enjoyed the time we had together. By this time I had learned that we could homeschool just because we wanted to, so we did. When my oldest DS was old enough we began to homeschool him. By this time I had become a CHRISTian (PTL) and we were working on starting a school at our church. The following year we started our first year as Christian schoolers.We remained there for several years until I decided to return to homeschooling for the last part of the year due to my Momma's failing health (MS left her very ill for several months) and the time we lost at school due to caring for her.I didn't want the kids to have so many missed days show up on their permanent records. The following year we continued to homeschool because my oldest DD developed skin cancer. Doctor visits, surgeries and biopsies left her and us tired, worried and depressed and I felt being at home would be better for us. It was a great year for us school wise. So we decided just to stay home for a while. If God calls me to return to our church school I will. I help out now a needed.But for now we are content to be at home.We like being able to take our lessons outside and letting them become bigger than the books. We get excited about school supply sales and new books or unit studies. What I enjoy most is that we are close as a family.

At times it has not always been easy homeschooling. I have definetly learned the meaning of my favorite Bible verse , Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God...I know the fear of not feeling prepared or of the anger and irritation of a schedule shot down in flames.I know what it's like to feel inadequate and tired. But I also know that God is our Provider and He will meet all our needs.I tell my children that they can be whatever God wants them to be. I urge them to let Him be the guide for their life choices including their careers.I will give them the best education I can with God's help and He will handle the rest. ~ Nikki

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