Changing With the Times.

When I started this blog I was fresh to homeschooling and it seeped into every facet of my life. I was gung ho and full of youthful energies to see my job perfectly done. Fast forward seven years of home education and my eldest has decided to transition back into mainstream next year. I always said it was their decision when they returned. I always secretly assumed they would rather homeschool. Honestly though when we went to the school which is new for the open house we were both impressed with their program. I am just one mom who can't compete with a state of the art machine shop, a culinary arts school, or other shiny new things. I can though step aside gracefully and allow my child to spread their wings. Is it easy for me to say 'yes by all means go to school.' No it's not. I want him to stay my sweet baby tucked safely under my wing forever. I worry like any parent as to how this will effect his self-esteem, his mental well being, his person, and I have mini woe is me parties on the inside on occasion. However I am proud of my son for seeing what he wants and stepping up to the plate to give it a try. I hopeful the transition is smooth for him. Both of my children march to their own drums so it's going to be challenging for him in many ways but I will be here when he needs me.

My daughter at 11 has decided she's never going to have a formal education. I smile inwardly knowing she will one day all too soon want to spread her wings as well. In the meantime I will support both of them in their life choices. Another life choice my daughter has decided is she wants to become a Goth. I was a Punk teen and so I have no issue with this choice. So long as we remain able to have some say in her wardrobe choices and musical choices I am totally okay with black clothing and dark lipstick. Lipstick fades and clothing choices change as we mature. She's a good girl on the whole with a over abundant sense of natural modesty so I have no concerns.

In the meantime my kids have started to really blossom into their own persons showing me that I must have done something moderately okay while homeschooling. My son is turning 13 and will be constructing a forge to begin metal working. He is growing tropical houseplants for a summer business and is a very active volunteer in our continuing ferret rescue. My daughter continues to draw daily. This obsession to draw must be going somewhere as she's certainly mastered skills after all these years. As well she actively volunteers with our ferret rescue. Both children are avid readers of books and consume them like others swig coffee.

In all these years of homeschooling I have had the pleasure of getting to know my children as real people and developing relationships with them that would never have been the same if we had done mainstream schooling all the way through. It's allowed them to know me as a person also and not just as their mother.

I always wanted to do so many things with them but time waits for no one. So this spring I ordered the butterfly kit that I always wanted to do with them. This summer will mark our homeschool bucket list before my son is out the door and off to regular schooling and all that entails. I will keep blogging regularly as time passes and hope you will return.