Kei went to K and 1^st grade public school.† She loved it, had no problems, fit in, made great grades, blah blah.† I was Co-HomeRoom mom in K and HomeRoom Mom in 1^st.

I had read about homeschooling since she was 4.† I had a folder full of great homeschool links and resources.† I thought I would love to do it but I was afraid.† I was not a certified teacher!† How could I possibly teach her?† Ok I could probably handle Dick and Jane and addition but what about Calculus, Chemistry, Physics????

So I left her in PS and tried to ignore the little niggling in the back of my head and the pinch in my heart each morning when I dropped her off.† K and 1st grade quickly sped past.

She started 2^nd grade and my Homeschool Folder kept getting larger and larger.† I read more and more about homeschooling.† I didnít really know any homeschoolers except for ìmy sisterís best friend homeschoolsî kinda thing.

I was always one of those moms who hated school starting back.† I loved being with Kei.† We had a blast together.† 2^nd grade started.† The first week I would ask her every afternoon, ìWhat did you do today?î and she would tell me she finished her work early and would help the other kids.† One of my favorite stories involved her helping this little girl with Math M&Mís.† They were supposed to put the colors into groups and count them but Kei said ìMommy she kept eating her M&Mís before we could count them!î† She was bored and not really happy with sitting quietly while the kids who took longer finished their work.

It was a Tuesday, her 2^nd week of school.† I picked her up and said, ìSo how would you like to be homeschooled?î† She said, ìOh Please!! I would love it.î† Next day I withdrew her, found a cover school and the rest as they say is history.† My favorite homeschool saying, the one that has kept me sane at times is this:† ìYou only have to be ONE day smarter than your child.î

We just began our 4th year homeschooling.† I have never regretted it.† NOT FOR ONE SECOND.† Is it all smooth and calm and lovely?† Well of course not!† There are days I want to beat her, days she wants to beat me, but it is the best thing I have ever done.† The world is truly our classroom.

She is socialized [anyone who ever questions the socialization aspect does NOT know jack about Homeschooling], she has friends, she spends the night with people, they spend the night with her. †We get together with our immediate HS group at least once a week, sometimes more.† A huge bonus for me is that I have made amazing friends.† Keiís friends Moms are my best friends.† How cool is that?† How often does that happen?

She loves being homeschooled.† I was thinking the other day that I have never heard one kid I know who is HSed† complaining about it.† They all love it.† They realize how incredibly lucky they are.† Kei hates running errands after 3:00.† She says she doesnít want people thinking she is a public school kid.† Now keep in mind, she loved PS, she just realizes that this life; this wonderful, wacky, fun, learning at its best life is wonderful!

Kei gets her ësubjectsí in.† It takes about 2 hours.† She doesnít mess around and I plan out pretty well each week.† Of course most weeks it never works out perfectly.† I mean what would you rather do, 20 Math problems or take an impromptu trip to a working farm?† But she gets all her Core subjects.

She also writes and performs plays with her dog, finger knits, has the coolest Webkinz rooms, explores nature, builds fairy houses, plays in her tree house, invents magical worlds and visits them via her tire swing, writes stories, writes songs, carries her tape recorder around and interviews almost every person she comes into contact with, plays her guitar, plays Wii, sews clothes for her Webkinz and dolls, blogs, swims in the summer, roller skates, ice skatesÖ.. you get the picture.† She has timeÖ..time to be 10, time to be little, time to visit every rabbit hole she finds, time to explore Godís world and all the glorious things in it.

Homeschooling isnít for everyone.† But for usÖit is as close to a perfect world as I have ever found.

Be blessed,

Bless me, what *do* they teach them at these schools?~ CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe