Weekly Homeschool Wrap-up–May 31, 2009

If you want to participate in this meme, please visit Carol at ThreeLittleLadies, and be sure to link your post to her Mr. Linky so that we can all see what life has in store for you.   From where I sat this past week,

As an individual, I…

find that my mind is always in a number of places, but I’ll try to pin down something.   Yesterday, my SIL came for a purposed visit to outline her own plans for her children during the summer months.   I should take a moment to recognize the significance of this moment in our homeschooling saga; she actually defied (though the word ‘defied’ might be strong—more like ignored) the anti-homeschooling banter of my public-school-teaching MIL and came to seek my advice about curriculum.      Not only that, she called a few days back to say that she had gone to a homeschooling store and became overwhelmed.    All of those who talk about homeschooling back before most of these publishers would sell to a homeschooler would appreciate the gravity of that statement. Wow!   Anyway, I broke out catalogs, gently used materials for giving away, and current tools, and she had a hearty laugh at my personal “store.”     As she asked me about this subject and that subject, and how do I do this, how do I teach that, it hit me how many decisions we have to make as homeschooling parents that the average traditionally schooled parent leaves to the system at hand.    I found myself in awe at the number of decisions I’ve made that would normally fall in the hands of people who are much more equipped through education and experience.   However, I’ve gotten to the same, or dare I say better, place with kids that are more confident, better educated, and more pleasurable to be around.    This is God’s work, and I’m just blessed and proud to be a part of His plan for our kids.

As a wife and homemaker, I…

am thankful for where my husband is now employed, but also believing for more.    Perspective is everything; when my husband was unemployed, my prayer was a job with benefits.   Now it is occurring to me that we need to complete our pledge to the church’s upcoming facility.   I’m still believing God for a debt-free roof repair.   He’s been faithful with next year’s curriculum—I’ve saved $200 on what I planned to buy thus far, and I am believing for this same type of anointing over every aspect of our lives.   During our minority homeschooling event (see below), there were a number of parents who spoke of current or soon-to-come layoff expectations.    I shared our testimony to encourage the others, and we had a brief church moment when another lady piggybacked on my story with an awesome testimony of her own.   Unexpected bonuses, rebates, orders, class contracts, checks in the mail—I don’t know how it’s coming, but I saw God send ravens to our door, figuratively speaking, and my faith is in His continued power to pour out more than I can ask or think, according to the power that is already working in us.

As a mom and homeschooling parent, I…

am happy to say that our formal school is over as of last Thursday.   We attended our citywide minority homeschooler event on Friday, and it was a real treat.   As parents, most of us didn’t know one another past our names on the e-mail loop, but we greeted and hugged as old friends.   There were blacks, whites, Asians, and Hispanics, and every racial mix in-between, and as it was so unusual amongst homeschooling communities, I think we all felt as if we had witnessed something special.     Everyone left wishing, and hopefully planning, to spend more time together than is our once per year norm.

I will continue basics with the five-year-old—math and phonics/reading.    The older two will finish out history in June, and continue with math and reading throughout the summer.    We’ll get started at some point this afternoon, but it felt good this morning to lie in bed for a longer time, get up and answer a few e-mails, then post this entry with no real regard for time.   I love summer.

As a business owner, I…

had a great day at the minority homeschooling event in terms of marketing  A Blessed Heritage’s products (see here) as well.    I also received a vendor letter regarding the 1^st African American homeschooling cruise slated for next October.    The organizers wanted to display the curriculum, and I’m thinking we’ll tag along to make sure it arrives safely (smile).

May God bless your week in some blow-your-mind ways!