All three little healthy birds continued to grow. Our home became a constant place for learning in spite of the craziness! Days were long and nights even longer as the baby couldn’t get the nighttime sleeping routine.

Isabela’s life just seemed as happy as her siblings. Mommy’s heart was constantly over the moon with happiness even though there were lots of struggling moments. I continued to research the laws of Tennessee for homeschooling, read lots of blogs, and spoke to a handful of friends I had met while pursuing this very personal option in education.

Once I knew my soon to be five year old had officially became a reader, the hardest part of teaching in my opinion, I knew I could indeed balance a five year old kindergartener, a three year old tot, as well as keeping up with a very active one year old! Homeschool, even though we had been doing our schoolwork since Jackson was three, would become official.

Our curriculum consisted of items we purchased, bits and pieces from my early teaching days, and things that were given to me by some dear teaching friends. We later registered with a private umbrella school to keep up with records and attendance. Our days are planned with me continuing with my plan book. Some days our schedule flows smoothly, somedays not. We work between naps, and snacks, and vineyard to do’s. Jackson and Abigail work together of the morning and while the girls are napping in the afternoon we pick up on our independent studies together. Most days are hard, just like the classroom. Some days they work so hard and are so willing, other days we pace ourself. The luxury is following the guidelines but slowing down or speeding up when needed.

The one single thing for me has been the support of their daddy. He had to keep his day job, but he continues to live through us, our stories, their milestones. Without pouring on the support and excitement like he has, I think would have created extra stumbling blocks along the way.

So “why” do I do it? Homeschool? Because I can. It wasn’t mapped out in the beginning. I sensed bigger plans were prepared for our family along the way and I listened. Some things happen for a reason. I see the reason to help my family grow in love and learning as my main goal in this world. 24/7 I am a wife and friend, a daughter and a sister, and now a mother. 24/7 I lead, guide, nurture, and educate. Five years this process has taken. Five years, three babies, and a world of learning in our eyes. A mother, completely capable of educating her own children for society, instead of educating society’s children!

August 19, 2012
Categories: About Me, School Related, Vineyard . . Author: Julie M Hall . Comments: Leave a comment

I became my children’s teacher for various reasons. I opened the door long ago, before even having children. I was a public school elementary educator for thirteen years. The on the job training working day in and day out with young children, other professional teachers, as well as parents created many life lessons moving forward.

I was in the classroom until four days before Jackson was born. It was never part of my plan to leave the school I loved to become a stay at home mother. I struggled with the idea of leaving society’s professional world that had defined and created me for so many years. My predictable schedule of lesson plans and checked plan books was hard to part with. However, bigger than the sadness of leaving and not being a part of that world, was the bigger emotion of leaving my new colicky, needy baby boy for someone other than myself to care for.

Our little man began to grow. He started showing all that he was learning. A teacher I could see but teaching my own!

During these moments of his growing, I too was growing. When Jackson was eighteen months old, we welcomed a new baby sister, Abigail. I couldn’t imagine not being there for this new life day in and day out.

It was at this time, other than the income lost from leaving the classroom, I knew I was where I was meant to be. Being able to be at home with these growing loving two was an amazing way to spend the day. Growing and learning together.

Experiencing life from the perspective of these two makes our family seem like the perfect thing to focus our attention on daily. We learned the basics of letters and name writing, colors and numbers. Jackson was learning what we exposed him to, Abigail was there to watch it all.

Our two toddlers, especially Jackson, was filling his mind with the wonder of life and learning. Exposing him to the preschool world was a juggle with another loud toddler always by our side. However, he continued with the process. I did the traditional work and kept up with the socializing side of school by exposing them both to preschool group readings and library time. I had to allow Jackson time to mature and become less socially pressured to live up to everyone’s expectations.

I guess you could say we needed another. We became pregnant with the third when Jackson was thirty nine months old and Abigail was twenty two months old.

Excited and crazy nerves all at the same time. A pregnancy that was scary and high risk made me question my ability to continue educating my two at home. Never wanting to not offer the best for all of my children was the only moment I wondered if home school would be the best and only option moving forward.

After many long months, Jackson turned four and in the middle of being a preschooler, their new baby sissy Isabela was born!

Welcomed with love by us all, especially Jackson and Abigail!
I knew the journey to be a mother AND a teacher would be difficult but not impossible.

August 18, 2012
Categories: About Me, School Related, Vineyard . . Author: Julie M Hall . Comments: Leave a comment