So neat! I ordered the first four books in The Magic Treehouse series. We read Pirates Past Noon Tuesday evening and finished it Wednesday afternoon. It was so cool to see her so interested in a book that she kept urging me to keep reading more.

We've been spending a lot more time reading lately, and it makes me so happy. I made a weekly "library date" so that we can go in and pick out some books, returning the books we checked out the week before. Last week Jade and I each checked out 5 books (total ten). I'll be making an effort to order books I'd like to check out too. Sometimes we manage to stay and hang out, browsing and just enjoying ourselves, for upwards of half an hour. Other times we need to be in and out FAST. Little kids often have short attention spans, and Nova is getting to a difficult stage of independence.

My Dear friend Susan wants me to write and article for the TriCity Homeschoolers' newsletter this month. I'm not exactly sure what to write. Several recent events flash through my brain as I consider the fact that my daughter is NOT going to school in a few weeks. I don't know what to write for her. Maybe I should do an interview instead.

We were at the playground a few weeks ago. It was right near the community center where she'd taken a Tiny Tots Pre-K class. As we pulled up, she declared, "I'm going to Kindergarten soon!" Uhhhh... I think. I tell her she's going to do Kindy at home, like Evelyn and Kori and Olivia. She's unconvinced. "No, I'm going to SCHOOL!" I tell her we'll see, but feel uneasy. I am prone to self-doubt. Later I ask her why she wants to go to school. "So I can make cookies!" I laugh. "You can make cookies at home you know!" She has no idea what school is really about, and I feel reassured. The next day we make a huge batch of cookies together.

A few days later I was venting my concerns to a friend who had considered homeschooling, but ultimately choose public school for her daughter. "It's not too late," she tells me. "You can still register her for school if you want." I find the idea slightly distressing. "No," I respond. "I really think she needs to be home another year."

I drove past the neighborhood public school last week. I felt slightly ill as I read the sign outside the Office. School Starts 9/3! Panic grips my heart. Good Lord, have I lost my mind? Am I really committing myself to staying home full time with my girls another year? Can I possibly take charge of my daughter's education and not mess it all up? When my husband got home that evening, I told him how I'd felt that afternoon. Should I send her to school after all? Was I making a mistake? "She's happy." He tells me. I love my daughter and I want her to be happy. So far, so good.

1. Why are you homeschooling? How much does it have to do with an inability to get kids ready and off to school in the mornings?
I am homeschooling because... It feels like the right thing to do for us right now. I like the idea of letting children lead their education, of taking our time and doing what works for us at any given time. I like the idea of my children not being exposed to the intense cruelty of the general population at the tender age of four, five or six. Yay, the world can be a nasty place, but I don't think my kids need to start struggling with it at such young ages.
I believe that I *could* get my kids up and ready to go and off to school in the mornings. Sometimes I think that would be easier. But for us, it's not the answer.

2. How long do you plan to homeschool?
One year at a time, re-evaluating each spring.

3. What about college? Are you worried they will have trouble getting in?
Not really worried.

4. If your kids went to school at any point, is your relationship with them different now that you are homeschooling?
No school so far and I hope school wouldn't change our relationship.

5. What would your ideal school look like, and would you send your kids if it existed?
My ideal school would probably be a democratic style school. I'd send my kids if I could afford it and if my husband agreed, but since he doesn't and I can't, we wont. :-)

6. What convinced you to homeschool (pushed you over the edge)?
There really wasn't any BOOK. It was reading articles on the net and chatting with other homeschoolers.

7. How did you overcome your initial fears?
Ack. I haven't really overcome them yet. I'm just plunging in headfirst anyway in the hopes that I wont go into shock or something.

8. Do you tend to choose curricula with a particular worldview, or do you tend to use what seems to be the best curriculum and adapt any worldview issues?
We're not really using any curricula right now, mostly just doing what feels right. A bit of worksheets here, walking there, visiting the library often, singing songs, tidying the house, and so on.

9. Do you belong to a support group? How active are you in it?
Yes. I belong to the TriCity Homeschoolers which meets twice a month for Park Days. I almost always go to Park Days. I'm working with a group of other homeschooling mama's with kindergarten age girls to do kid swaps and such.

10. Do you work better to a schedule, or do you let your days fall as they may? Or do you draw up a schedule for humor value?
We have a rough schedule, but my main focus is in creating a rythym to our days and weeks.

11. Do you start school before 10 am?
We don't really "school," we live.

12. Do you get out of bed before 10 am?
Usually 8:30 or so.

13. What time do your kids get dressed?
9:00 am

14. What is your favorite response to the line: "Oh, I could never homeschool my kids."
{shrug} Each to there own.

15. What's the response you actually use?
Well, it's not for everyone.

16. How many bookshelves are in your house?
Four.

17. How much coffee do you drink?
Eww. I don't drink coffee

18. Share a moment with your kids that let you know you were undoubtedly doing the right thing by homeschooling.
Hmmm... This is tough. I've never really had an "A-HA!" moment. I have "this is so nice" moments all the time. Taking a walk in the morning and having Jade stop to draw letters in the sand. Laying in the grass while my kids play on the playground. Visiting friends in the middle of the day when other kids are in school. Stuff like that.

I feel like our days are so full lately. I don't know what it is! The master schedule I designed has been very helpful in letting me know what I ought to be doing at different times of the day, not to mention what our special plans for the day are. I feel a little less like I'm adrift in a sea of things to do but missing my oars!

Today was our homeschool park day. The girls had a lot of fun. There wasn't anyone at the park two weeks ago which was very disappointing, but a nice big crowd showed up this week. I talked with another mam named Sheila who migh be interested in doing the Academy Day/ cottege school that we're planning for our kindy aged kids this fall.

I also had Susan's gils over for a few hours this morning. We had fun, but boy does it keep me busy having extra kids here! I hope we can continue to do more kid swaps in the future.