a little education hooptedoodle

Looks like our homeschooling journey included a little detour of public schooling for all of one semester. We will be oficially withdrawing Josh tomorrow and then have ten days to make it legal and official... sooo, you'll be able to call us homeschoolers yet once again ;)

more of "life" happening in between

The photo above is of my youngest, Joshua, who is 14 (soon to be 15). It was taken during the Obama campaign rally here in Vegas before the election. Joshua was homeschooled through 8th grade and is currently a freshman at a local high school. The freshman "enjoying" his year that I spoke of in one of my first posts here. Seems that is not the case. It also seems things will be changing next year.

Here in Nevada the Education budget has been slashed and slashed yet again. As a result, his school is losing their block scheduling and moving back to a six subject day. They are also losing 17+ teachers. With the six subject day the number of electives you can take has been reduced. Josh would not be able to take any extra electives next year as his foreign language already counts as an elective and yet is a required subject for sophomores, as they need at least two years of a foreign language to graduate.

All this is background really to a talk I have been having with myself since last week and one my husband and I have been having together. My talk to myself tends to be filled with questioning of my capablities to "homeschool" Joshua's high school years. My daughter graduated last year from the school Joshua attends and was able to take six AP courses. Because of those classes and their amazing teachers, she started college this year a semester ahead. This was one of the bgigest reasons I had for having Joshua attend school. I worried that I was not qualified to teach such classes to him and as a mature young man, advanced beyond his mom in thinking and intellectual skills, I felt he needed more than I thought I had to offer him.

Going through his papers yet again yesterday, I realized that at least through this year I could have done as well, if not better, than what the school has done for him! I am not impressed by far with what he is learning and how he is learning it.

There have been a couple incidents also which have proven to be situations to navigate through with a young man that has a very sensitive heart and soul. I have some people offer, that these experiences are a part of "getting tough", to "be able to make it out in the world". I do not agree with this.

So here I sit, researching and contemplating what to do about all of this. I will continue to do so but I do know one thing for sure, he will be returning home for the rest of his high school years and I will find a way to educate him during this journey... at home.

grown up hiding places

I am currently re-reading my favorite novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, for the umpteenth time. Yesterday I came across this line from Scout (who is my favorite character of the novel) and had to smile.

"...Grown folks don't have hidin' places..."

Ah... you're wrong there Scout. This "grown up" lady has more than one ;)

finding the words

It is not often that you find a writer that touches your soul. Jenny of She Sells Seashells does just this each and every time I visit her blog. Her words reach deep and affect me in ways that linger for days.

I am grateful for this small world created by modern technology if only because it has allowed me to "hear" things I would not have been able to had it not existed.

And I am grateful for writers, like Jenny, who are brave enough to speak out loud those words.

* The picture in this post is of my mom taken about a month before she died after fighting a three year battle with ovarian cancer they said should have only lasted 18 months. She never lost that smile no matter where she was in that journey. Jenny, in writing of her own mother, brings my mom back to me. And for that I am forever grateful to her.

my heart melted

.... when I heard this song.

As the mom of boys that are now 24 and 14 (and this one is my baby), this line said it all for me...

"...And when the years are going by too fast..."

You can find the full lyrics here.

Warning though... have the tissues ready.