We Seem To Be Unschooling.

(writer's notes.  I hate talking about Autism online for the most part.  Simply because of wording.  I respect all points of view, considering all types of families are touched by Autism.  In this way, the semantics of the situation are tricky.  

SEMANTICS = the meaning of a word, phrase or sentence

In this, please do not EVER think when I discuss Autism or anything that is connected to how we roll.. I am NOT saying our way is THE way.  That's just ridiculous.  

Also, please excuse the buzz word.  I avoid them at all cost.  One time I told a nurse that we co-slept and felt like an utter fraud just saying it.  Just a thing with me.)

September of our first year of homeschooling.

Our schedule is iffy.

Our progress is not trackable by any forms of formal tracking.

But gosh durn it, LB seems happy.

Before I started homeschooling LB, I did research it.  I think all parents of school aged children should.  Just an option, if you're not in the best of all circumstances with a public school.  I did have a vision in my head how it should be.  We wake up in the morning... the visual schedule is all set and we work towards our goals, TOGETHER.

And then forest animals invade my house and clean it all.

:)

Jumping into it, I now see what I'm doing better.

In the public school setting, there was pressure to perform every day.  And when he got home, he'd meltdown in a puddle of goo and I'd question what the crap I was doing.  Now?  Now, we tend to go with what he's interested in.  Today we have had lovely discussions about the food system here in America.  I DO still have planned some vocabulary and math, but it doesn't have to be done right now.

I'm teaching him how to be.

That's what I'm getting from that word "un-schooling" I've seen constantly through pages and blogs I follow.  Following the child's interests in the teaching of them.  In this, it's such a feeling of freedom.  We're going to Cub Scout meetings, going to the store.  Discussing money and politics and how we are with neighbors.  We're discussing HUMOR and CARING and cute vs. ugly.  Life, death and all the subjects in between.

I may decide he's ready to go back to public school.  But quite frankly, he's gonna have to want it. He's not to the point yet when he understands (and accepts) the work he has to do for long term rewards.

During his school career, I kept wishing I had a pause button.  A moment I could take him aside and say what was meant by the teacher or the kids or the principal.  Now I'm getting that moment.  

And... this year might not be graded well.  He might not move on to the fourth grade.  He's exceptionally bright, but it doesn't read well in testing forms.  Is that okay by me?  YES.  What's the difference if he graduates when he's 18 or 19?  If the difference is a level of happiness... I'm completely okay with that.

COMPLETELY.

Going Big!

(Prepping for the week ahead)

.... and we begin.

Well... we seriously went from "not a lot going on" to "geebus when can I sit down" in the blink of an eye!

Adding homeschooling to the mix was the real zinger.

It's all good.  I truly believe that going big is needed at certain times in your life.  It's a great way to be a role model for your kids... and test your abilities.  It's the fear of failure that gets most people.  I'm not afraid of failing... I've done it enough to know it's not that scary.

BUT I AM A PLANNER.

Currently I have a work planner, school planner, BLOG planner (that's lacking any attention), menu planner and then I write notes to remember in the day.  And sometimes I even remember to look at them and do the stuff I wrote down.  :)

ready and waiting!

The trick with me and planning though is to keep it simple usually.  Start out small and work your way up to big.

Which is what I've been trying to do since... I don't know... June?

Especially with LB, and the big changes we've been going through.

But today he pretty much advocated for himself he was ready to do more.  Beside his desk I have his Daily School Planner... I've just been putting one or two things on.  Just to test the waters of what we can accomplish in a day.  Today I put those TWO things up (worksheet and computer learning), and left a big space in between.  I told him to pick one card of whatever he wanted to to put in between the two work cards.  He proceeded to fill up the entire board.

Way cool, Junior!

SO, YEAH.  If he can do it, so can I.  Once again, being LB's mom is inspiring!

Coming up this week on the blog will be the weekly menu, update on a free spirited lesson plan AND a how to video on crochet to go along with the class I'm doing this week.  Please comment any ideas or feedback you can, you're more than welcome!

It's gonna be fun.  :)

Our First Day of Homeschooling

(singing rather loudly and off key... "AND WE DID IT OOOOOOOOOOUR WAAAAAAAAY!")

Here we are at the end of our first day... and we're still here.  I'm fairly tired and LB is indulging in his obsession of the day, Hungry Hungry Hippos.  (We've played it over and over again, lol)

Was it a success?  I'd like to think so.

You know, you don't really KNOW what your day is going to be like homeschooling until you get into it.  You may have this idea of order and your child sitting there hanging on your every word... or alternately chaos and your kid flipping you off.  The reality is somewhere in the middle of all of that, thank goodness.

One thing that kept me grinning all day long.  I've had a child in the public school system for the past 14 years.  First Chance, now LB.  To know that we're here at home, and it's OKAY and NO ONE from the administration office is going to harass me about days missed?  Well, I gotta say... I feel like a free woman!  I'd go outside and sing in the yard if I had the energy!

I'm already seeing the tweaks I need to make in the system too.  Which is A GOOD THING.  So far I love www.time4learning.com!  BUT I see how it's going to work for us.  The math and English sections are GREAT, and I'm going to have to print worksheets to go with them.  The science and social studies parts are good bits of information that I'm going to have to get books and other visual aids to go along with.

I have a plan.

And, the biggest surprise out of all of this is that I had a meeting with the special education director of our old school on Friday.  Turns out, I was WRONG that they didn't have to offer any support to homeschooling families!  So LB will still be having speech therapy with the lady who's been with him from Kindergarten on.  I LOVE THAT.

Thankful that everything sort of fell into place fairly easily.  Now to see how well we can do this year!

Where We Are

It's amazing... the changes that happen.

Even though we have lived in the same place as a family for the past eleven years, we are a WORLD away from where and who we were back then.  Kids grow up... adults (ideally) grow together.  Even though I miss the miniature versions of my boys, I wouldn't trade seeing their growth for the world!

So... here we are.

My idea that you can do more from your home is going to be challenged this year.  This year we will also add home schooling to the mix!  YEAH!  LB's school experience thus far has been rather tumultuous.  It was time to put on the brakes and say "NO MORE"... we're going to do it a different way.

And hopefully this way will allow him a sense of calm so he can LEARN.

And, to be honest... I need the calm too.  I spent entirely too much time attached to the computer waiting for emails about problems... phone always by my side in case I'd get that phone call that I needed to run up there and save the day.

I am trading all that in for control.

And hopefully I'll be able to get back to the things I love!  Like, spending time with my little guy and helping him figure out stuff.  Making things.... growing things.... BAKING!  Remember how jazzed I would be when I could BAKE SOMETHING?

And most of all, sharing the good stuff and bad with my friends.

So off I go, ready for this next chapter in the ongoing saga that is TEAM JONES.  And ready to share.

Welcome!

Welcome reader! 

If you've been following my blog, you may be wondering what the heck is up.  Well, RE-DO.  Yes I'm starting over from scratch again.  Everything was so random and disorganized... it was giving me nightmares.  All the good info is archived and will be re-posted. 

And it's my blog.  I can re-do it as many times as I feel the need.  (big smiles)

For those of you who may be new, HELLO!  My name is Beth (obviously).  I'm a stay at home Mom with a funny notion.  A home can be a whole lot more self sustainable than we think.  And it doesn't take a fortune to have a happy home life.  It takes a lot of trial and error... and I've learned so much from the people I've spoken with online and in real life.  And in my almost six years of doing various blogs, running different online home groups and just talking to people... I realize there's still so much more to learn! 

This mainly works with your help.  Let me make this clear.  MY WAY IS NOT THE ONLY WAY.  Nope.  Not in the least.  So be sure to share your thoughts! 

Thanks for joining this little journey.  Get your sense of humor ready and take a deep breath... here we go again!