Introduction Thread for Regulars & Newbies. I'll start :)

[Beth in SW WA]

Hi gang,
After 6 years of private Christian school, we brought our kids home this year for a hybrid form of classical education. I read SWB's book over the summer and cried myself to sleep because I felt I had short-changed my kids by giving them a mediocre education at what I thought was an excellent school. They were not challenged -- but worst of all, they were not inspired to learn or grow.

We have hired a Latin tutor and Writing tutor. The rest we hammer out at home together. The kids work fairly independently. I am a strong proponent of self-education, for many practical reasons.

We also have 2 little girls we adopted from China who will most likely attend a local classical school which is also a homeschool co-op. Our 4-year-old reads at about the 4th grade level -- so I'm not sure what shape or form her education will look like.

I feel so blessed to read the posts here. I told my husband that the smartest women I know are on TWTM boards.

Thank you, SWB, for all you have done to help us in our journeys....

[Colleen in NS]

I'm Colleen, and I live with dh, ds9, and dd7 in eastern Canada (southeastern Canada?). We've been here for 11 years, and married for 13 (previously lived in Ottawa, Canada's capital city). I'm from the States, and before getting married, I served for several years in Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international missions organization. That's where dh and I met.

I read the WTM when ds was about 3 or 4, and was very overwhelmed by it. I read it again when he was 6 and when I was clueless about how to go about educating him. Instantly I was onto the plan and have been ever since, with modifications here and there. I am SO grateful for SWB's books, teaching CDs, these message boards, you ladies here......WTM has gone from being a mere plan to being more understood by me - the whys and the hows.

I basically homeschool and manage the home. I am contemplating taking up tutoring in reading, since I did it for two years a few years ago. But I'm not sure yet, because I don't want it to overtake the homeschooling. However, it's good money around here.....how do you other classical educators manage school, home, and working at home anyway as your kids get older? Ds is heading into logic stage work next summer.....

ciao.

[Sixmeadows]

I am a mom of 7 kiddos ages 12 down to 3 year old twins. I have been married for almost 14 years.

I grew up in Minnesota and love the outdoors.

And I can't think of anything else right now except that I should really be getting dinner started. I just need to get into the larvae stage, it will be at least one goal accomplished today!:rolleyes:

Cheri

[Wendy in ME]

We live in Southern Maine. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 13 years. We have 4 boys ages 3,5,9,11. We sent the 2 older boys to a private Catholic school until the oldest was in 3rd grade. We pulled them out in the middle of the year for so many reasons but most of all because of the lack of challenge and the way that they took my ds that loved to read and discover and squashed it with busy work. This is our third year HS. The first year was just the second half and we pretty much just flew by the seat of our pants. The second year we did Abeka because that was all I had heard of. It provided a good education but not the reading, discussion and writing that I was looking for. I spent that year researching HS philosophies and came across WTM and later LCC. We know lean more LCC but use SOTW and a 4yr history cycle. I feel like we have found our groove. I am looking forward to starting from scratch with 5 yo ds next year. I am currently working outside the home as a respiratory therapist Friday - Sunday but am going to drop the Friday shift next year when we add in K. This year the older boys use Friday to finish up any left over reading and writing.

[WABeth]

I am Beth and I live in NW Washington State. I have been married almost 19 years and have 2 dds: 9 yo 4th grader and a 6yo Kinder. My oldest dd went to K and 1st in PS. We decided to HS that summer. I read WTM and the rest is history. I have never enjoyed anything more than I have homeschooling. My dds are thriving and I am so glad we took the plunge. Neo-Classical style homeschooling has really fit our family and my personality. I also work full-time as a community college counselor so I am a busy person!

[5wolfcubs]

We've always homeschooled our kids. I heard about it in highschool and knew I wanted to homeschool my future children. Dh started kindergarten knowing how to read & read well...he was an intelligent bored kid who got into much trouble. When I told him about homeschooling he knew that was what he wanted for his future children. So we got married. Well, that wasn't the only reason we got married...we sure liked each other a lot too! :D

I read The WTM when my oldest was 1st grade age or so and have been reading these boards on & off ever since! I've used a lot of different methods and publishers, always trying to find the perfect fit. In retrospect, while it made each individual year good, it hasn't necessarily been good for progression. I'm starting to worry about highschool... :eek:

[Jenny in Atl]

(cross posted from Gen board) I hope I can keep up!

I've been around for about six years now, on and off (homeschooling that long too). Married to my better half for 17 years, a couple since 1983
We have two girls, Mackenzie 12 and Fiona 7. Numerous pets from a Golden to odd looking aquatic frogs.


DD 12 went to a small private school for three years but we ran out of money and I fell out of love with the school on the whole. From the start of this adventure, I have always used WTM mixed with a few other resources, and I'm always looking for new ideas and suggestions.

Cheers!

[tess in the burbs]

Hi I am Tess and I live in SE Virginia. My Dh and I always wanted to homeschool our children. I spent years researching curriculum, but once I read WTM I knew I had found what I wanted for my children. We follow the guidelines of the books but not strictly in regards to time spent daily. When the work is done it's done. I know as they grow up we will all be learning so much more than a ps could have offered them. I do hope to start teaching piano in the fall for some extra money. Otherwise my job in this house is education and managing the home :-)

[Linda...inOwasso]

Hi all! I am Linda and I live in NE Oklahoma. I have 2 amazing daughters 7 & 4 yrs. and this is our first year of full-time home education. Both of the girls attended a small private school for academically gifted students on the campus of a local university until this year. I wasn't terribly disappointed in the education they were receiving, but I missed them so much!! My main reason for home educating the girls is so that I can actually *raise* them rather than merely watch them grow up. We're having a great time and I'm so glad to have found TWTM in the beginning.

Enjoying the process ~
Linda

[Kara in FL]

I'm Kara and I live in NW FL with my dh and our two dd's (ages 4 & 2). Both girls have multiple allergies - so with that consideration and the hopes that we can give them a better, individually-tailored education than they would get in ps we decided to hs. We just happened to find TWTM and both dh and I read it and completely agreed that this was the way to go. I have been reading the boards for quite a while now, even though we're just in pre-school, and have found so many great ideas and suggestions! We are enjoying pre-school and I'm looking forward to teaching (and learning) so much over the next years!

[Closeacademy]

I have 2 dds one in Kindergarten and one in 2nd grade. I have been frequenting the boards for just over 2 years now.

We use a mix of Classical, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori materials and ideas. I have come to the point where I am mostly writing my own curriculum because I have spent too much trying to bend it to fit the needs of my child.

I do think that Spell to Write and Read and Singapore are the best out there.

[Trivium Academy]

Jessica, 30 yr old
married to dh 5 years
two kids- dd7 (prev. marriage) and ds3
pet- Jack, 4.5 months old (Golden Retriever)
We live in Southwest Georgia until we move someplace else in GA this June or next June ('09)

My Hometown- Charleston, SC

Dd7 attended public school K in the next county ($500/yr fee) plus transportation costs and we decided it would be worth it to try homeschooling. Dh says the kids will never set foot in a public school again. I told him, "yep, if they go to school it'll be private!" Lol.

Bugging everyone aka Contributing on the WTM boards since May '06

[ArwenA]

I'm Arwen, 28 yo mom to Chelsea 9, Megan 6 and Cassidy 3. We live in British Columbia, Canada and have always homeschooled. It must be the BEST thing I've ever done. We're in our 5th year and I have no doubts that we'll keep on going through high school.

[Chris in VA]

Hi all,
I'm Chris, and I live in Northern VA. I'm homeschooling my ds18, who is a jr because we held him back in 3rd grade, and my dd7, in second grade. I also have a ds 16, who is currently in rehab nearby. This is our 3rd year homeschooling.

We decided to homeschool dd because she was reading at 4, and we just wanted to keep her interested and "innocent." I had taught in my boys' preschool, so I always knew what they were doing at school because I planned most of it. When dd came along, I put her in preschool for two days a week, but missed her. That contributed to me wanting to homeschool her. In addition, a dear friend was planning on homeschooling her kiddos, and it sounded like so much fun! (She's phenomenal, and intro'd me to WTM.)

I've been married 22 years to my husband, who is a priest, and yesterday celebrated my 45th birthday. Being an older mom with both a high schooler and a grammar stage kid has allowed me the privilege of seeing both where we've been and where I want to go with homeschooling. Ds 18 had lots of learning and social issues (not Aspie, but pretty close), so we tried private schools, Montessori, and public school before we decided to homeschool. Ds actually requested it, since we were going to hs dd.

We've used Omnibus, Apologia, various Bible curriculum, with a strong lit curriculum for high school. We use (for the most part) the WTM rec's for 2nd--love SOTW!

Unfortunately, this may be our last year to homeschool, as I have debt to pay, and need to go back to work. It's a difficult, heart-wrenching decision. I also have to be careful to be available for my middle son, who will hopefully be home from rehab in March or April.

[Milseain]

Hi I am Candy and I live in Georgia. Married to my better half for 12 years, been a couple for 14 years. We have 3 children. We've always homeschooled our kids. I read The WTM when my oldest was in 1st grade and have been reading these boards ever since! The boards have helped me a lot!!:D

[Amy loves Bud]

Hi all,

I'm Amy, married to Bud for almost 15 years. We have a 9 yo ds and a 7 yo dd who we've always homeschooled. We added a new daughter, Romy, to our family in July! We live in Texas and I love the heat!

Bud works from home, so we get a lot of family time which I love.

I love TWTM and get lots of great ideas and info from these boards. As my oldest moves into logic, we will probably be going into a more LCC style (even though I've yet to read the book, and I'm holding off on buying it until the new edition is out), but continuing our history in TWTM manner. I'll also be bumping up science, as that's "my thang".

I've made a commitment to stay off the computer until after our official school day is over, so I will only be here in the afternoon or late evening.

[Jami]

I'm Jami (formerly Jami in MO, then Jami in TX) currently in the DFW area. I "discovered" classical education in 2000, pre-children. I started reading the main names out there at that time...David Hicks, TWTM, Douglas Wilson, Susan S. Macauley, Charlotte Mason. Dh and I were strongly drawn to a Great Books/Great Ideas education for our children and then to the homeschooling lifestyle as a means for accomplishing this.

I've been on the boards (with increasing frequency) since 2001 after my first child was born. Our educational philosophy and practices have been primarily shaped by the WTM, people here on the board, The Latin-Centered Curriculum, Memoria Press/Highlands Latin School, and Charlotte Mason's writings as implemented by AmblesideOnline. I don't know what camp we always fall into, I just like to call what we do "education". :)

Um, let's see, what else would you like to know in a general introduction? My children are brilliant, my husband is handsome ;)

Dh is a graphic designer and game designer, if you're into Facebook let me know I'll point you to the game his company has created there. Careful though, it's addictive.

Jami

[Ann in IA]

This is our 3rd yr homeschooling. I started trying to stick closely to the WTM model but have relaxed a lot since then. I still value it as a guide though.

We've always been independent hsers but now we are moving to a new state and I think we may try their homeschool program they offer thru the school (you are dual enrolled). It has many extra class offerings, field trips, and best of all for me-other hs moms to interact with ;)
It should be interesting to say the least.

I've been reading the WTM board for over 2 yrs and have gotten so much from them. I think the change is great.

[Lori C, Texas]

My name is Lori, married to dh for almost 11yrs. We live in North Texas. We have a dd 10, ds 6, and ds 4. We have been homeschooling for almost 3 years. Dd was in ps though the 2nd grade when we just couldn't take it anymore. I had never really heard of homeschooling until a new family joined our church that homeschooled and just talking with them let me know there was really another option out there other than ps. We couldn't afford private school. So, we went against every member of our families and most of our friends advice, and started to homeschool. Dd has had a hard road getting up to grade level these last 3 years and is still struggling but it is amazing how far she has come. It is amazing how much damage being in ps from K-2 did. We just enrolled her in K12 and we are loving it. With ds6 we are following WTM suggestions and he is doing great. Ds4 we are doing www.letteroftheweek.com and BFIAR. The are both doing great.

Hope everyone has a good evening,
Lori

[Robyn]

I'm Robyn. I've lurked at the old boards from time to time so I figured I would pop in and say hello. I am in southeastern Massachusetts and I have two boys, 9yrs and 17 mos. I've homeschooled my oldest since K, mostly with WTM. I tried to go in a more Waldorf-y direction for a bit but it just didn't work out for us. So, here we are starting from scratch half-way through the school year.:rolleyes:
I also watch my nephew(4) and niece(18 mos) a couple of days a week. The four of them keep me quite busy, esp my tyrannical toddler.

[dangermom]

I'm Jean in Northern CA. We have two girls, 7 and 4. I read WTM when my oldest was two and was hooked; it was the book that converted me to homeschooling. It was like someone had reached into my brain and figured out my ideal education. I'm still sticking to that frame, we love it.

I'm a librarian and I work a little on weekends, here and there. I sew a lot--lots of quilts and some clothes. Someone got me into heirloom sewing, which you have to be crazy to do (and I am). We do kung fu and Musikgarten too, and my husband is currently starting his own software business.

[Jenny in Florida]

I'm Jenny, living in Central Florida for the last nine years. I started the homeschooling journey when my daughter was three, added my son when the time came, and sent my daughter off to college this year. So, I'm down to just one at home these days. He keeps me quite busy, though.

When my daughter was younger, we took a much more eclectic approach. I had heard of TWTM, but always assumed it wasn't right for us, for a variety of reasons. Only when my daughter came to me and asked what we were going to do to make sure she was ready for college did I actually go look at the book. Together, we researched all different kinds of high school curricula and looked at the graduation requirements in our state and the admission requirements for various colleges. And we ultimately found ourselves really drawn to TWTM and the classical approach. (We do a LOT of tweaking, though.)

My son is now nine and working above grade level in pretty much all subjects. He also has outside interests that keep us hopping (and driving all over the state). He's pretty heavily involved in the performing arts, takes several dance classes a week, sings with a choir, is in his third year of piano lessons and does as much theatre as I will let him.

He still says he's going to be an engineer when he grows up, though. His dream is to go to MIT, and he looks forward every month to launching model rockets with his dad.

--Jenny

[Alice]

I'm Alice, living in Northern Virginia (suburbs of Washington DC). I work part-time as a pediatrician. I have two boys, age 4 and 15 months. We have many friends who home-school and started thinking about it seriously about a year ago. I read WTM at that time and loved it...I think mostly because it's the education I wished I had had.

We're obviously very much in the early stages. I'm trying to take the advice of wise Moms who have told me to take it easy now and just let my boys be little. We mostly do a lot of reading, which has been somewhat structured around a Letter of the Week kind of thing. We're about to start doing some FIAR just to help me as I'm a structure/planning kind of girl. I just added in Singapore Earlybird 1A and ETC 1 (just this week) as my son has always seemed to like workbooks and something a little more structured. So far, it's been good and only about 15 minutes a day.

I've learned a lot from being a lurker for the past year....thanks to all of the great women here!

[Asma_08]

I didn't post much on the old board but thought I would introduce myself now.

My name is Asma, I live in Texas with my husband of almost 8 years and three children (5yo ds, 3yo ds, 1yo dd). I feel like I am just getting started homeschooling this year even though I have been teaching my son since he was three. I guess I feel its official since he will be six soon and "officially" school age. I am still consider putting him into one of the magnet schools here because I have severe doubts about my ability to home school but these boards have helped me tremendously and my confidence is growing.

Anyway, thought I would just chime in with the intro and thank you ladies for all the great knowledge I've gained from you.

[Darcy in FL]

Hi all! I've been married to my dh for 16 years and we have three children. My oldest ds is 11, dd is 8, and ds is 3.

We started this homeschooling journey when my oldest ds was in 1st grade....I was introduced to TWTM and frequented the boards then. A little later in life I returned to work FT (I'm a nurse in that other life) and so my ds went back to school and dd went to K in public school.

Last year we made the move from NW Florida to Central Florida due to my husband's job change- that allowed me to come home full time and resume homeschooling! It's been quite a journey but one I'm thankful the Lord has led us on and we plan to homeschool the whole way through!

We follow a lot of the TWTM suggestions with a few tweaks here and there......I'm certainly still finding my way in that respect but I love these boards for the wealth of information and the support they provide. :)

[Laurel T.]

I did not post much on the old board, because I was mainly just researching and trying to gather ideas for the future. My sister gave me WTM when my ds was about 18 mos. old. It really put a kink in my career plans. I pretty much knew at that point that we would be hs's (prayerfully for life). DH has worked very hard to support us financially so that I can be home with my two little ones (now 4 and 2). I absolutely cannot imagine sending them to school at 7:00 in the morning and not seeing them again until 3:15.

We have so much fun using a variety of resources for preschool. I am just trying to enjoy each day and keep the house clean.

Laurel T.

[King Alfred Academy]

Hey there! I'm Brittney. I live in Mid. TN with my dh of almost 10 years. He is finishing up BA's in English and French this semester...FINALLY!:D We're in the process of filling out grad. school applications so he can get his PhD in English (Medieval Literature) and teach at a university. We will be moving to one of 9 states this fall. (N.CA, CT, OR, MO, NM, AZ,WV, MI, or staying in TN)

This is my second "official" year homeschooling my two boys, 4.5 & 6.99 (7 on 1/25!). Classical education (well, neo classical...I just finished reading LCC:)) is a great fit for our family (but am also looking to incorporate more of the LCC). I am striving to give my boys the education I wish I had the privilege of receiving. Great thing is I am receiving it as I teach them! That is the beauty of Homeschooling!

Personally, I love to travel (especially in Western Europe), get comfy in book stores, learn just about anything, visit antique stores, and buy curriculum!

The experience, knowledge, and wisdom shared on these boards are priceless! Thank you:D

[St. Theophan Academy]

On the old board I posted as Anne Marie, I have used the new board as a chance to change over to our school name. I have been homeschooling 4 years now, and read WTM about a year before I started. I was homeschooled myself from 3rd grade - 12th, but was not really ready to commit to homeschooling when I first had kids. My husband was a public school graduate, and really had no issues with ps at the time - and said he would NEVER pay for private :) When my first was getting close to school age, I realized I was not ready to send him off to spend 7 hrs a day in a room, when all he wanted was to be outside! So we did K as a trial, and 4 years later still take it a year at a time . My husband is a great supporter, and I now have 4 kids, 2 school age. WTM was what gave me the confidence that yes, I could homeschool my kids thru highschool if I wanted to, though we follow a LCC approach more now. I have enjoyed this board for 4 years now, and appreciate all the wonderful ideas I get from here! Thanks to all of you who take the time to post your hard work, I love this board! Anne Marie

[Janis in DE]

I've been married to my husband 33years!! We have 5 children, 29, 28, 25, 22 and oops 10. When my 22 year old was a senior in high school her baby sister was ready to start kindergarten. She begged me not to put her in public school and to homeschool her. This started our journey. She is now in 5th grade. I discovered these boards shortly after starting to homeschool and have gleaned a lot of information since then. We use TOG and love it!!

[godpoetry]

My name is Cynthia and I live in Alabama. I have 3 children. ds 1 is 12, ds 2 is 10, dd is 3. We have always homeschooled. I have been reading the boards for about 3 years now, but decided to start posting when the new forums started. I have learned so much from these boards.

[wellpleasedmom]

Hi everyone! We have 6 beautiful children. I'm a mom in my mid 40's. I feel the joy of grandparents when my children enter a room. My heart literally fills with joy and contentment. I've been homeschooling from the beginning. My husband and I have been married 22 years! Yahoo. It's always been a pleasure to read this forum. So much help at your finger tips!

Glad to be here.

[erica471]

I'm Erica. I only have 1 child, 6 yo. She went to ps for kindergarten which I don't regret because she had a SUCH a great teacher. But, first grade wasn't as good. I had always entertained the idea of home schooling but was unsure where to start. I can't even described how much I loved the ideas behind WTM. Now, Dd goes to Family school 2 1/2 days a week and is home schooled for the rest of the time. This works really well for us as I work part-time at a library. I am really happy where we are at now, but we may home school full-time at some point, I'm just taking things as they come.

Thanks!:D

[clanbusby]

ian. My name is Anissa. My 3yr old ds wanted to type his name first. Our homeschool journey began 4 years ago. This is actually our third year of homeschool. Katrina threw a kink in what should have been our 2nd year. We spent a year in my hometown in MS 300 miles away from Dad.

A friend recommended that I read WTM and I was hooked. I have been using more Sonlight the last two years (for ease of use with a newborn and toddler running around), but I am planning the high school years with WTM and will let my littles fall in wherever the olders are.

I have lurked on the board for the last 3 years, but not doing much posting. Thank you for all of your information, opinions, and advice. You have answered most of my questions and concerns without me even having to say a word. I have been extremely grateful to all of you.

[BarbaraL in OK]

Barbara, 45
married to dh 15 years
two sons, ages 12 and 8 (nearly -- next month)
Oklahoma

Born in California, grew up in western Washington state, met & married dh in grad school (meteorology) in Pennsylvania. Between then & now we lived in California & Florida. Putting down roots here in Oklahoma for nearly nine years now.

Have wanted to homeschool since older son was in pre-K, pulled younger son after his first 2 weeks of kindergarten, and the following year brought older son home at last for 5th grade. Husband is now a big advocate of homeschooling, which I'd never have expected over those years of hoping & praying. We plan to HS through middle school, and dh is quizzing me about how we might HS in high school, whaddaya know!

Dh is the computing coordinator for a big meteorology program at the state university a couple of miles from home. I sometimes call myself a postmodern homemaker, or maybe a suburban homesteader - I'm frugal, work on living more sustainably, cook, garden, bake, and knit. I also love to read nonfiction, play the piano, and lead my Godly Play Sunday school class of 4 & 5 year olds. Before this homeschooling thing, I did a bit of Web design, and I have a Web site for parents, Faith at Home (http://www.faith-at-home.com/).

Been on the WTM boards since about the time of my homeschooling "Aha!" moment in January 2001.

[coffeegal]

Not much to say. Discovered TWTM shortly after my oldest turned 4. It was just what I was looking for in a homeschool curriculum. 7 years later, I've found myself somewhere between TWTM, LCC, and a self-teaching curriculum. Have a wonderful dh, 4 lively children, and a dog. :D

[3lilreds in NC]

Hi! I'm Beth, and I live in NC. I've been married to my wonderful dh for nearly 13 years, and we have 3 children: dd 7 (almost 8) dd6 (almost 7), and ds 4.5 months. :) This is our 3rd year homeschooling. I found TWTM and this board thanks to a fellow ballet mom, and I am forever grateful. I love the idea of a classical education, but our homeschool is a bit more relaxed than that. Right now we're using My Father's World, All About Spelling, First Language Lessons, WriteShop Primary (we're a testing family, it's really fun), and about to start Singapore math after much trial and error.

I never thought we would homeschool, but when my oldest was ready for kindergarten, I just could not send her away. I am so happy we decided to homeschool! I love having the kids home, and am thrilled that the girlies are able to spend time and bond with their baby brother in a way that they could not if they were in school all day. :)

I have learned so much from these boards - including how to bribe my children with chocolate to get them to read. :D I don't know what I would have done without all the wonderful, wise women here.

[Julie in GA]

I'm Julie and I live in the Atlanta area. My dh and I are from Maryland, have been married for 14 years, and are blessed with 5 beautiful dc.

I started thinking about homeschooling back in the 80's when my roommate loaned me a copy of Mary Pride's The Way Home. (If you've read it, you'll know that it got me thinking about quite a few other things as well. ;) )

Anyway, I read TWTM when my oldest was about 5, (he's 13 now). We followed TWTM pretty strictly for the first four years. A few years ago, I read Teaching the Trivium by the Bluedorns, and have since relaxed my methods with the younger ones. (Basically, more of a CM style until age 10, then kicking in with a traditional classical model.) I've posted here off and on for about three years (originally as "Julie S in GA").

Reading your posts has gotten me very interested in LCC. I hope to read it this summer. I love Memoria Press, and use a lot of their stuff already, so I guess we're halfway there!

Interests: music, tea-drinking, classic novels and British mysteries, theology, and chocolate.

I'll quit now. :rolleyes:

Blessings,

[Jennefer@SSA]

I have been married to dh for almost 12 years. We have 3 boys: 6, 3 and 19 months. We started homeschooling for ds6's final year of preschool. We did it as a trial and after he started reading that year we *knew* ps wouldn't be a good fit! I had taught 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade in ps for 7 years and knew where ds was most likely headed (he has severe ADHD, SPD and possible Aspergers) and it wasn't good.

I went into this whole thing kicking and screaming but now I realize what a gift I have been given to educate my own children. I discovered these boards through Jessica's (Trivium Academy) blog and I am so thankful I did! In the past 6 months these boards have been a source of encouragement, support and camaraderie. I have been blessed by the ladies and gentlemen on these boards so much and hopefully as we get a little further along in our own journey I will be able to repay the favor so many of you have willingly shared with me!

Blessings,

[Mamagistra]

Crossposted from the General Board:

I'm the poster formerly known as Debra in TX. Dee-aitch and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage this fall. We have always home schooled our crew (dds 10, almost 9, and 7 mos., ds4). The extended menagerie includes a great dane, a pug, one cat, two guinea pigs, a rabbit, and two parakeets inside...twin border collies and 12 chickens outside.

Once upon a time, I was introduced to the idea of home schooling by a snippy, fake-tanned ballet mom who, upon observing my interaction with 2yo dd, mock-scribbled on an invisible notepad and declared, "You look like one of those home school types!" I looked up "home school" that very day and decided that indeed I was one of those "types". ;) How will I ever thank her?!

What began with WTM here has taken a LCC bent, and both books are close at hand to guide and refresh me, as is this site. I met one of my best friends via these boards (howdy, SueTX!) and I am ever-so grateful that it is here for those of us who enjoy the interwebs.

In my spare time, I read as much as I can, cook lots of yummy things, eat them, and repeat. :D I enjoy making cards and gifts by hand, and I paint a mural or a funky mailbox once in a while.

I love Jesus, nachos, Great Britain, Rembrandt, crosswords, Indian food, poetry, birds, coffee, and the smell of old books. I loathe mean people, NASCAR, Mountain Dew, drug commercials, apostrophe misuse, Viacom, canned beets, pants with words on the seat, and Wal-Mart :).

When I grow up, I want to draw beautiful portraits of children, eat chocolate cake every day, and laugh even more than I do at present.

[Elisabeth in IL]

Hi, I'm Elisabeth in IL. I have three ds who are 10, 8, and 3. I read TWTM back when my oldest was 4. Since reading Susan's book and talking to some friends about Classical education, it is what I've wanted for my boys. I've been disappointed that is hasn't turned out the way that I imagined it would but I'm confident that each boy is getting what he needs at the moment. Maybe someday we will get to the independent and lover of learning stage or maybe my boys (mostly the eldest) will always have to be pushed, pulled and hand held. I love them all! :D

[Chels~]

I'm Chelsie (Colorado_Mom) on the old boards. I have 2 kiddos ages 7 and almost 10. Right now we are kinda doing a mixture of things. I am still trying to figure out what works best with my DS (10).

[Lori D.]

Me = Lori, one of the "old ladies" here at 46. (: 0
Married = 21 years (yikes!) to college sweetie (a poet/philosopher/firefighter)
Offspring = 2 boys, 15yo, and just-turned-14yo
Homeschooling = our 8th year! (our first high school year this year!)

From both a literature and filmmaking background (and still love both); I love to work with my hands (esp. "digging" in the dirt, aka, gardening -- but all kinds of handcrafts with tangible results -- crochet, jewelrymaking, etc.); and I enjoy hiking and doing family activities; but I especially love to learn all kinds of new things!

[Kristiana]

cross-posting from the general board, which I never could keep up with, but I've been there a lot more with this new format. It still moves so fast though!

Anyway, I live in Salt Lake City where I'm currently freezing! It is so cold here this week! But that's beside the point. I've been married for 10 years and we have 3 boys ages 7, 4.5, and 3. We started homeschooling (if you can call it that) when our oldest was 3.5 and abnormally interested in the alphabet. We did letter of the week which took us a year to get through the alphabet due to morning sickness and a premature baby. DH always said we were going to homeschool our kids and I'd laugh at him. But here we are!

We did FIAR for two years and I dearly love that curriculum, I always said classical education, at least as I'd seen it described, was not for me. But then I picked up TWTM and I absolutely loved it. It was like someone took the ideal education I wanted for my children and wrote it down! We love the history focus and 4-yr rotation (DH was a history major) and it just made sense to me and I also love how it maps out 12 years of school for you. I'm sure we won't follow it exactly, we haven't already and we're just doing 1st grade, but I love having the plan there. I feel like I know where I'm going, I'm not wandering aimlessly through curriculum.

I found this board about 1.5 years ago and it completely overwhelmed me, just the sheer size and amount of information. I came back to it about a year ago though and I've posted irregularly, mostly on the curriculum board. I've learned so much though from so many here and I love coming here to meet like-minded homeschoolers. I don't know too many others locally that use TWTM.

Oh yes, and I play the cello! I guess you could say semi-pro. I have 10 private cello students and play in a local community symphony and do weddings and such. I also love family history, cooking, baking, cross-stitch, reading, and travel. So, that's me!
__________________

[Sandy in Indy]

I'm Sandy and, obviously, I live in Indianapolis. I've been married to dh for 21.5 years. We have 3 wonderful kids--a daughter who's 20 and two boys, 17 and 7. My older kids attended a private, Principle Approach school in the beginning of their educational journey. We started homeschooling 10 years ago and I have 11 years to go!

[Sugarfoot]

I'm Gina, my husband and I have 4 children, and we live in the Flint Hills of Kansas. We have 2 boys, the oldest is 12yrs. and the baby is 4 months, and 2 girls, the older is 9 yrs. and the little one is 18 months. I've always homeschooled the 2 oldest and will add the younger 2 when it's time! I have a Master's degree in marriage and family counseling, and my husband's a physician (gastroenterologist). We love to travel! DisneyWorld is our favorite destination. Our 2 older children are black belts in Tae Kwon Do, they both take piano lessons, and dd9 does gymnastics. They both also love art and draw beautifully. We have 2 giant Golden Retrievers whom we love immensely! I should say that I'm not very technologically savvy...

[Mom to 3+1]

I am hs my 7.5 yo triplets (ggb) with a 4th (6 yo boy) in ps kindergarten. my dh is very supportive and we love raising our kids in the country, in the beautiful Pacific NW. we are new to hs, so I am trying to get in a grove... I seem to spend more time second guessing myself and getting overwhelmed by all of the amazing options. Laura

[Tia in Wa]

Hi I'm Tia and I am a 29 yr old mother of a ds 10 a dd 8. ds went to ps through 3rd grade , dd went through 1st. We moved and I was worried about the new school district and a friend suggested homeschool. I read tons of books, then my friend and I went out and bought a very eclectic pile of workbooks and ps textbooks. We struggled through that for a few months. . Thank God I found WTM. I thought I'd ruined my kids. lol

[EvergreenEclecticAcademy]

I'm Tammy, a transplanted Texan currently living in the Pacific Northwest. We relocated here from the DFW area 18 months ago for dh's work. I've been married to my hubby for 15 years, and we have two energetic dd's--ages 7 & 3. Our oldest dd attended public school last year for 1st grade, but I always had that nagging feeling that "we could do better." So...after buying a house this spring in a different school district, we found a nice way to transition into homeschooling this year. So far, so good.

I lurked for a *long* time on the old boards, posted a bit, then was AWOL from the boards over the holiday season. I'm glad to be back! :)

[ballzy]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Colleen, and I have been married to DH for 12.5 years. We have 4 dss: 11, 9, 6, and 20 months. We've homeschooled from the beginning, but oldest ds went to private school this year for the first time (grade 6). We are considering homeschooling him again for grade 7.

We live in the west coast of Canada. I've been coming to these boards for about 4 years now.

[Bee]

I'm late as usual....Anyway,I have 2 always hsed dds.The 11yo wants to be a cat when she grows up.The 6 yo currently wants to be Carly from ICarly (last week it was a doctor).We use a mix of methods and materials:some WTM,CM,Sonlight,OM,a little unschooling.Whatever works.Besides hsing,I work and try to fit in time for myself when I can.We live in NY,tied here because of my job,our house,our multitude of pets, and we can't agree on where we'd like to live.Dh wants to move somewhere warm,I want to go to Maine.

[PameLA in VA]

We've homeschooled ds 5th and dd 4th from the start and have always used a WTM approach. I discovered the book when they were just toddlers and have been on the boards since close to the beginning. However, I go through phases of being able to read and post on a regular basis, to dropping a line here or there, to total absence for some periods of time.

I have found over the years that this is by far the BEST place to get information and opinions about curriculum, as well as answers to developmental, behavioral, and other secondary issues related to homeschooling and life. It is truly a "hive-mind" and and a great resource. It is the first place I will recommend to hs newbies or veterans who ask me questions I can't answer.

Personal information: Married 18 years with 2 dc. Ds plays piano and various sports. Dd plays violin and dances. Mom plays the iPod. I'm a Virginia native, but we lived in New Orleans for 8 years, thus my original name on the boards was PameLA. It morphed to PameLA in VA to retain the connection when we moved back here just over 2 years ago. We've really enjoyed being back close to my family and being here in the historic triangle for Yorktown's 225th, Jamestown's 400th, and Colonial Williamsburg in general. Plus, now I'm close to my alma mater again...William and Mary.

One of our best hs experiences was our SOTW history co-op with 3 other families the first two years. We met 2x a month, rotating hosts and homes, and did several activities each time. We made costumes, had feasts, held an Olympics, and had all sorts of fun. I have not been able to get anyone here in VA interested in committing to this and dc miss that alot. We did start scrapbooking/lapbooking our history pages and they are enjoying that immensely. I have promised many times to post some examples, but have just not gotten around to it. We are now using SOTW3 along with TOG 2/3 and some Truthquest...I know, it's a crazy combination.

OK...I guess that's enough of an introduction. Hope everyone has a good day!

[PameLA in VA]

We've homeschooled ds 5th and dd 4th from the start and have always used a WTM approach. I discovered the book when they were just toddlers and have been on the boards since close to the beginning (1999-2000?). However, I go through phases of being able to read and post on a regular basis, to dropping a line here or there, to total absence for some periods of time.

I have found over the years that this is by far the BEST place to get information and opinions about curriculum, as well as answers to developmental, behavioral, and other secondary issues related to homeschooling and life. It is truly a "hive-mind" and and a great resource. It is the first place I will recommend to hs newbies or veterans who ask me questions I can't answer.

Personal information: Married 18 years with 2 dc. Ds plays piano and various sports. Dd plays violin and dances. Mom plays the iPod. I'm a Virginia native, but we lived in New Orleans for 8 years, thus my original name on the boards was PameLA. It morphed to PameLA in VA to retain the connection when we moved back here just over 2 years ago. We've really enjoyed being back close to my family and being here in the historic triangle for Yorktown's 225th, Jamestown's 400th, and Colonial Williamsburg in general. Plus, now I'm close to my alma mater again...William and Mary. Let us know when you come to town!

One of our best hs experiences was our SOTW history co-op with 3 other families the first two years. We met 2x a month, rotating hosts and homes, and did several activities each time. We made costumes, had feasts, held an Olympics, and had all sorts of fun. I have not been able to get anyone here in VA interested in committing to this and dc miss that aspect alot. We did start scrapbooking/lapbooking our history pages and they are enjoying that immensely. I have promised many times to post some examples, but have just not gotten around to it. We are now using SOTW3 along with TOG 2/3 and some Truthquest...I know, it's a crazy combination.

OK...I guess that's enough of an introduction. Hope everyone has a good day!

[Julie in PA]

Hi! We knew before we had children we would classically educate them. We started with the first one at home and then DH got a job at a classical school in PA. This meant free tuition, so off ds went. After a couple of years we realized our hearts were still in home schooling. Dh teaches and is the administrator for VP Online classes. He will be doing this full-time from home next year. We are very excited about that.

[Mommyfaithe]

Hi All:

I have been around these boards since they began...
I am married for 22 years to my wonderful best friend. We run a plumbing, Heating and A/c company. This year I began working full-time from my home office in his business...BUT we are still homeschooling and my kiddoes are still thriving.

I have been at this for almost 13 years. My oldest dd is graduating from college this spring with a 3.9 gpa!!! Homeschooling prepared her for a rigorous college education...and to be honest...I did not actually school her that much in High School. I made the materials available, facilitated and TALKED a lot with her...gave her loads of books and had her write...write...write. She said she was so much more ready to tackle college level work because she knew HOW to learn.

DD 2 started college this year. Her first semester...straight A's... YAY!!!!!!

DS 16 is working a lot with DH. He is doing several courses...slowly but surely, but has really completed his high school courses. Next Year he will begin to take cc courses to round out his High School experience.
He will probably take a technical training course in oil and gas and also A/C certification courses. I know he'd rather be a rock star....but hey...everyone needs a fall back career.

I read the WTM when it first came out...I just can't remember when. It laid out for me exactly what I wanted to accomplish with my kiddoes and I had been putting together myself. I still use other suggestions or plans (such as I love Ambleside Online) but I feel they fit in nicely with WTM plan.

My next kiddoes have worked through the stges as laid out in the WTM...tweaked by me :-) DS 13, DD9, DS 5 and DS4 (almost) are enjoying SOTW 2, Latin, Logic, Phonics Grammar etc.

I just love this board. It has been a source of encouragement, information and fellowship. I truly love the friends I have made here and even when we get into one of those great debates over math or the BEST way to do something it is always thoughtful and filled with information.

Gotta go back to work, make breakfast...school the kids and exercise...AND be a hot Momma when Dh gets home tonight....

OH...the Joy!!!
Faithe

[Rhonda in TX]

What a great thread this is!

I live in the Houston area with DH and the two kids. We have homeschooled for 2 years. They were in a private Christian school before that. We left suddenly at mid-year and, because we didn't know what we wanted to do, decided to try homeschooling. I had wanted to try it for awhile, and DH was suddenly agreeable. It has worked very well for us. While I won't say that private school would not be an option for high school, I doubt my kids will ever be in public school.

A homeschooling friend gave me TWTM to read when we made the decision to homeschool and I absolutely loved it. Now, however, I lean towards a more Charlotte Mason approach.

[Baseballmom]

Hi, I am Dorothy Bauer. I grew up in Minnesota but moved to Texas 11 years ago. We have a 12 yo. son with Microcephaly which means he has a small head (brain.) His doctors said that he would never walk or talk, once he did that they said he would never have any higher learning function. He is determined, and by God's grace he is just below grade level or on grade level in all subjects. He struggles daily but homeschooling has been the key to his success. My youngest, is an 8 yo. son who may be gifted, he learned to read right after he turned four. He asked my how to read, I showed him how to blend sounds for 5 minutes and then he was reading. He is several years ahead in math and does very well with logic. He loves the game mind trap and likes to make up his own mind trap riddles. I started homeschooling 8 years ago when my oldest was four. I am still learning new things everyday and only wish a had a younger child to teach well right from the beginning. Thank goodness the Lord is faithful and will bless my efforts in spite of my failures.

[Strawberry Queen]

Hi, I'm from Alberta in western Canada. I read TWTM when my dd was 4 and now she's 7. I loved it right away. It encapsulated my thoughts on education. I am soo thankful for this book and the encouragement from these boards. I have been able to post all of my questions and glean lots on wisdom.

The one thing I didn't want to do in homeschooling is jump around from topic to topic, and then find out that we were missing a base of information necessary for more intensive work. I could have had lots of fun, but would I be setting my children up to succeed? I feel that using TWTM as a jumping off point, I can see my end goal and make decision for this year with that in mind.

Aside from homeschooling and reading the boards (yes there is a life outside of these two activities:p) I pretty much hang around home. I love to sew and read and bake. I just need more people to bake for:D. Oh, I'm also babysitting a 3yo aboout 50-60 hrs. a week which makes for a busy house. Especially since the hours are always different. Very frustrating for someone who likes to make up schedules-but oh well, I don't follow the schedule anyway.

[Rhesa]

I'm Rhesa and I currently homeschool in a tiny NYC apartment. I have a son, 7 and daughter, 5. They have been home with me from the beginning, but this is our first "official" year. (The first year we've had to report to the goverment!)

When my son was 18 months, I had a very strong urge to check out homeschooling. So, I went to the internet and started exploring! Fortunately, I quickly came across information on WTM, as well as Ambleside Online. I found lots to like in both approaches.

I don't post often- but I have learned a lot here!

[michellem]

Hi Ladies. My name is Michelle and I live in Tennesee. We have homeschooled for 5 years now. My oldest son is in the 7th grade and my younger son is in the 3rd grade. I started out using Sonlight. After the first year I started putting together my own stuff using the Well Trained Mind Guide. I have been reading on these boards for several years now and have gained a lot of helpful information. I looked forward to chatting with you all.

[umarider]

Last year was my first year HSing my DDs. Prior to that they'd been in PS, but being a military family, we move around a lot and that leaves us vulnerable to varying qualities of schools. Now we are in Hawaii, and unless we wanted to pay MAJOR money ($17k+/child!!!) we would have had to go w/ a PS system that is known to be weak.

Now, I've got a teaching degree... so I figured "No Problem!" as far as homeschooling, right? (I hear all you old-timers laughing:) ). So I happily chose my curriculum, figuring I'd be making adjustments during the first year. A friend recommended WTM, but I am a stubborn "Do-it-myself" kinda gal, so I refused to even LOOK as WTM.

Last year was okay... we made progress, but not without a LOT of stress! (I was now teaching kids who'd spent their entire lives learning how to press my buttons! Also, I was constantly second-guessing my choices) I would talk w/ a friend, who is a very non-pushy kind of person and also homeschools, and she suggested several times that I read WTM. I kept saying "No", that I wasn't that kind of homeschooler (Don't know what I thought "that kind" really was). Well, my friend got around my stubborness by having her daughter come up to me one day at DD's ballet class; thrust WTM into my hands saying "My mom told me to give this to you!" and then run away! I took it home, read it, and was hooked!

This year has been so, incredibly much better! We are all happier and making even more progress. (I still get my buttons pushed,:rolleyes: but I have more confidence & organization)

I know that when I return to a regular classroom I will be a much better teacher from the experience I have gained.

[Lisawa]

This is a great thread... I must have missed it...

My name is Lisa. Born and raised here in Washington state... that would be 36 years here *Ü* Almost 37! I have been married for 15 years.... I have 3 great kids... Shawn 18 ( I was a single teen mom saved in my 20s my husband adopted my boy) Christian 15 *Ü* and RyLee Kay 11.

We have always home schooled going through many a phase, style and method over the last 13 years... settling in nicely to where we are now......

I first read the WTM about 8 years ago...before that many other philosophies and ideas on home schooling... settling in on a mix of Classical/Charlotte Mason/ Raymond Moore ideals... I’m a mixed bag! lol

I love this board... sometimes to much! I’m here to much... but the wisdom and friendships
I have developed here have been a blessing! If I have a question.. Where do I go? WTM
boards... Want to play Wordless Wednesday… WTM board! Have a prayer request??
WTM board… Well my peeps in RL too but you know what I mean…

[Verena]

Okay, here goes:
I'm Verena, married since almost 12 years, with 3 boys (4, 6 and 9) and a transplant from Germany.
Came *over here* for grad school, met my dh and never made it *back over there*:)
We live in beautiful SW VA and have hs from the beginning. I read TWTM when first ds was tiny and was immediately hooked.
I love this board, too and thank everyone for their wisdom, expertise and giggles!

I'm a cellist and play gigs from time to time (orchestral or wedding/parties), and do some teaching also. I love to read, knit, sew, garden, bake, hike, spend time outdoors, play with our dog Jack, and I have a severe weakness for any BBC-produced version of any book ever written by Jane Austen. In my spare time I sit on the couch eating bon-bons :D

Our hs is a mix of classical, musical and germanical. This year has been the best so far, I seem to have finally found our stride. I have relaxed, my oldest has learned to see school as *this is not so bad, mom*, and my dh has remained my biggest cheer leader.

Now I have to cook dinner, but I'll be back to read more about you guys:)

[Kathie in VA]

Hello all.
I just have to say that I really appreciate these boards. This is where I go when I carve out a few moments for *me*. My dh thinks I'm nuts to want to keep reading about various curriculum and talk about homeschooling methods and tools... but that's what I like right now.

We pulled out kids out of private school when my oldest dd was in 2nd grade because of a move. It's funny but I didn't like the idea of classical ed when I first read about it but when I tried to explain it and the other methods to my dh, we both felt pulled toward it. I got and full read the WTM and took off from there.

We now have 4 kiddos (dd13yo, ds11yo, ds8yo, and dd-turning 3 tomorrow!) Life here never seems to follow my wonderfully made schedules and plans but somehow the kids are learning something. God is merciful!

[TolleLegeAcademy]

I'm Kim. (I posted as KimW on the old board a few times, but there are usually lots of Kims around, so I changed my screen name here.....) My husband and I have a just turned 6 year old and we decided to homeschool about 4 years ago. I have been home with her from birth; but before I became a momma, I taught children in public schools in Florida for 10 years. This is our first year to report to the school board as homeschoolers, so we're *official* now.

I read TWTM a few years ago and keep it close by for reference now that my dd is school age. I am a curriculum/book junkie (pretty sure I was born that way!), I love to read about anything education related and I like to plan ahead just for fun and make adjustments as we go.

I usually don't post very much since we're just starting out, but I really appreciate all the wisdom and encouragement shared here. I hope to contribute more as we go along.

It's been fun reading about everyone!

Take care,
Kim

Our New Blog (http://teachermom.typepad.com/homeschool)

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

Hello, My name is Alane and I'm a homeschooling mom.

We've homeschooled since dh planted the seed into my brain when ds1 was 18 months old. I decided to research it to prove to him it was a stupid idea for our family.:o

We spent preK and K using Sonlight's materials. I had read WTM when ds was preK, and thought we'd switch over and use it when he got to 1st grade. Then TOG came up, and I decided to use that for 1st grade. Then I gave birth to my 3rd son and hormones kicked in and I could barely make a decision about what to feed my family for dinner let alone which books to use and which activities to include in my son's first academic year.

So, that Christmas I sold TOG and bought lock, stock and barrel into SOTW and the Activity Guide. We used these resources to flesh out our neo-classical education for 1st and 2nd and the first part of 3rd grade.

Now, we're studying US History using Sonlight's Core 3. We'll move onto Core 4 for ds#1's 4th/5th-ish grade. After that I'd planned on returning to TOG for our logic and rhetoric classical rotations. But, who knows what'll happen once I've got two students and a kindergartner to teach.

I'm very thankful to all the wonderful people who sponsor this board and those who answer, and for all the support that is here. It is a blessing to my planning and my sanity!

[Surfside Academy]

We've been homeschooling for about 2 years now. I always thought I would send my kids to private school but as my oldest grew older I began to have doubts. First there was the cost...no to mention the time wasted in an all-day kindergarten. I have a masters degree in Forensic Science so I figured I could do this! I have to say that it's gone fairly well.

There have been a lot of curriculum changes (I'm a bit of a curriculum-junkie) but I'm so thankful I found the WTM. My oldest is very social so I've had to make some compromises like allowing him to attend a coop once a week but it's all good!

My new challenge will be trying to figure out how to incorporate my 2nd son into our schedule when he begins kindergarten soon. Yikes! I do appreciate all the wisdom and humor I find on this board.

My quiver: ds 7, ds 41/2, ds2 1/2

[Tokyomarie]

Hi, I've posted an intro over at the High School board, since that's the board I read the most. I'll post something a bit different here:

I'm Marie, married for 27yrs. I afterschooled throughout the '90s when my girls were in Japanese schools and international schools while we lived in Tokyo. After we returned to the States in 2000, we started homeschooling full-time. We graduated our first two from homeschool. One has finished college and is soon to be married. Our second dd is a college freshman music major.

I still homeschool our 13yo son, who is a 7th grader this year. I am an eclectic homeschooler with a classical bent. I read TWTM back in 1999 and really considered closely following it but my younger two students are both twice exceptional (bright/gifted with learning challenges) and their particular learning needs have required me to be more flexible in approach while aiming to cover similar content as TWTM.

We are taking a break from our history cycle to do Sonlight's Eastern Hemisphere studies (Core 5); we use mainly SL for history/geography with additions as desired. We're also using some SL assignments for writing, Lightning Lit 7, Wordly Wise, Sequential Spelling, ALEKS math, Quarter Mile math (for computer-based drills), and Singapore Interactive Science. At co-op this semester he will do Japanese I, Lego Robotics, Logic, JASON Project Monster Storms, and Battles of the Bible.

I am a leader in our co-op at the middle school/high school level. I'm also involved in leadership on the missions team at our church.

I tend to read quite regularly at the High School board, but since my ds is still using mostly middle school resources, I do peek in here fairly frequently.

[3lilreds in NC]

I am married to the most excellent Todd. I have 3 children: Emma, Abbie and Isaac. I have 4 cats: Simon, Miranda, Twink and Dory. I have a dog named Toby. I have a few fish and I love to feed the birds. I'm a Michigan native, have lived in NC for almost 10 years, and am hoping to move back to the Midwest (preferably near my sister) in the near future.

This is our 3rd year homeschooling and we love it. The girls are enjoying their baby brother in a way they wouldn't have if they were in school. I love the idea of TWTM, but honestly, we're a bit more laid back - we're currently using My Father's World and really enjoying it. I had a hard time giving up the 4-year history cycle, but this gives us some wiggle room for rabbit trails and such.

I must confess to considering K12 for next year - I'm feeling a bit stressed about getting it all done with the baby.

[Allen Academy]

I have a pretty unconventional "why I decided to homeschool" story - I was on my lunch break from work about a year ago and was watching some show on HGTV and in the course of the show, the homeowner showed her homeschool room and said they decided to homeschool because they travel a lot and wanted their children to be able to travel with them. So that night, I mention the thing to DH and he says, "I think homeschooling is a great idea! Let's do it!"

Now I am one of those people who would say "Oh you homeschool? I could never do that...” I am a former public school teacher/librarian, and I have no beef with public schools whatsoever. So to DH, I say, "Wait, I was just kidding...” But I looked into it, and the more I read about it, the more I thought it would be perfect for our family. My primary reason is because DH is in the Air Force and we move quite a bit (before DD turns 5, we will have moved 5 times), so I thought it would provide stability for our family (along with other reasons that I kept discovering as I read every book I could find about homeschooling).

So, we decided to homeschool DD and any other children we may have some day. She is only 4 now but had been in preschool for a while since I was finishing grad school/working, so we are doing some school with her, just because she wants to. And I like it :)

A few other interesting tidbits about me:

I married my high school sweetheart a month after I graduated from high school; we have been married for almost 7 years now.
I once ran out onto the ice at a minor league hockey game in between periods because someone offered me $100.
I make the best cheesecake you have ever tasted - guaranteed - and I don't even like cheesecake :)

I love to read, scrapbook, and bake but somehow end up spending most of my time online here or looking at all of your wonderful, inspiring blogs.

[Darcy from LWM3B]

Why'd I have to follow the cheesecake lady?! I had such a great intro planned and now all I can think about is cheesecake. ;)

Hi, I'm Darcy. I'm still thinking about cheesecake. I grew up in the Chicago area. I now live in Blinknyoullmissit, Iowa.

I started homeschooling when my oldest was 3. He was enrolled in a private preschool and 8 weeks into classes, we showed up and there were 2 very sick children left at school by their *ahem* parents.

Now, for most families, that wouldn't be a big deal. But with me I had a 4- month-old, 5 lb oxygen-dependent baby brother on heart monitors who had just been released from 3 mo in a NICU. He was so fragile. And a 22 mo old toddler, to boot. I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't risk the health of one son for the "education" of another.

So, I thought I would just do this until my baby boy was strong enough to handle germs. Well... it's 4.5 years later and here I am. My baby will be 5 in May. An absolute miracle boy, and turns out I love homeschooling.

My 3 Boybarians are 7 (soon 8), 6 and 4.

I also work part-time in NICU Family Support and recently got a hair-brained idea to do some blog design work. I have no idea what I've gotten myself into.

I think SWB and JW are fantastic. At least twice a year I resist the urge to drop the boys off at their farm, and ask for the human equivilent of a dry cleaning receipt so I can pick them back up when they're all smart.

Allen Academy... pretty please send me the aforementioned cheesecake recipe?

I used to post as "earlybird mom" as a nod to my preemie son, but well, I dunno... I was ready for a change. I have met some fantastic cyber-BFFs here, and I have gained so much from the boards.

[Another Lynn]

I meant to intro myself the other day, but I haven't had as much time online as I would like. I'm also sorry to say I haven't had time to read all the other intros (how rude!) but I'll come back and do it soon.

I did not post a lot, but I was Another Lynn on the old board, so I just kept the same name. My dh and I have been married 15 years. We have 4 children: ds, 9, 3rd grade, ds 6 K, dd 4.5, ds 2, and one on the way. I went to my first homeschool conference when my oldest was 7 mos. old :) I was a curriculum junkie even before I knew what I was getting into!

I started out using Ambleside Online as my guide for most things, but have drifted a bit from that (for one thing, I got us back on a 4-yr. rotation for history). We added in SOTW for the first time this year and we participated in Classical Conversations for the first time this year. We probably won't do that next year since we will have a newborn! We also use SWR, Daily Grams, MUS, CLP's Studying God's Word, AO for literature selections, SOTW, CHOW and OIS for history with an Eggleston book thrown in for American. I'm relying on CC this year for our science, although we did just start reading Science Lab in a Supermarket. I'm looking forward to planning for next year when we will have 5 days at home again instead of only 4 (most likely). As much as we have liked CC, I have felt like I needed to keep cutting back on my other academic goals at home to accomodate it.

My oldest two ds also play chess, so they have chess problems and chess games every day. This is dh's contribution to our homeschool and I have to say he's doing a good job! Before Christmas they both won first place for their grade level in the KY State Championship and my K-er tied for National Kindergarten Champion in Houston.

I love coming to this board and gleaning from everyone's experiences. The upgrade is really nice too!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We've been homeschooling from the start. My oldest DD hated anything that involved large groups when she was young. We did our own preschool thing. When I ran out of ideas of preschool type activities to do with her, we started working through Phonics Pathways. DH started out saying that she should go to public school. By the time Kindergarten came around, he realized that she was learning more at home than she would in school. He also figured out that both DD and I would be much happier homeschooling together and didn't want to be the "mean one" who made her go to school. This is our fourth official year homeschooling, and we are loving it. I wouldn't call DH a homeschool advocate yet but he's coming around as he sees things working well at home.

We currently have 3 kids: Jessie (almost 9), Violet (almost 7), and Benny (almost 4), with one on the way in mid-May.

We basically follow the WTM outline, but substitute curriculum as needed to make it work for our family.

[cupajoe]

Hi. My name is Erika. I'm homeschooling my 4 dc (Noelle-13, Brandon-10, Shelbi-8, Bella-5). This is our fourth year homeschooling.

I rarely post, but certainly frequent the boards to gain valuable insight and advice into this journey I feel I'm still beginning. I am amazed at the wisdom present on these boards, and honestly feel I don't have much to contribute. Hopefully one day I will feel seasoned enough to share my recommendations, etc.

I have been married to my husband (an active duty Army officer) for 14 years. We met my freshman year at Wake Forest and began dating immediately, so we've pretty much been dating and/or married my entire adult life!

I began homeschooling because I felt completely called by God to follow His lead in this area. I started out following a CM approach using Ambleside Online. I've definitely morphed and now incorporate primarily classical ideas and methodology into our homeschool.

That's about all for now. Thank you to all of the regular/frequent posters on this and the old board. You couldn't possibly know what a help you've been to me personally throughout the past few years!
Blessings.

[Tommysmommy]

It's been quite some time since I've frequented this board, so a re-introduction is in order.

I live just south of Ft. Worth, TX with the two loves of my life, my hubby and son. We are in the 4th yr of hs'ing ds who is 8 (3rd grade). I have used a Christian Classical / Charlotte Mason approach from the beginning.

Blessings,

Denise

[MicahMaloo]

We are in our 2nd official year of homeschooling our sons, grades first and PreK. I have frequented (mostly lurked) the WTM boards for about 3 years now ???

We are Christian Classical homeschoolers that follow a cross between WTM, Trivium Pursuit and Textbooks! :D

[VaKim]

Hi. We are in our 5th year of hs my two girls, ages 13 and 9. We are very eclectic, and use whatever works and is interesting at the time. I do like chronological history, composer study, artist study, poetry memorization and study, and we are doing Greek. So I guess there are some classical elements in there. :)
I have been reading here every day for a long time, but rarely post. I mostly just see what I can learn from all these extremely intelligent people. I do like to answer any questions I can, and have asked a couple questions and gotten great answers. :)

[cajun.classical]

I'm Angelina in Louisiana and have been lurking and occasionally posting here for a couple of years. I'm in my sixth year of homeschooling, but before that I was a classroom teacher. I've taught literally every grade--from kindergarten Latin to College Literature and Composition. I was involved in the founding of a Christian CLassical School and was a teacher there as well as the Curriculum Coordinator until the Lord called me to homeschooling--in an unmistakable way! The transition from classroom to homeschool was terribly difficult; I quickly realized that classroom techniques had no room in a homeschool. I was frustrated and discouraged. I read and read about homeschooling, but still found that most homeschooling books were too influenced by institutionalized education. I finally found my way after reading When You Rise Up, Charlotte Mason's writings, and The Latin-Centered Curriculum. Now, I love homeschooling, and I think I'm a much better teacher than I ever was in the classroom. And the best part is, we are having so much fun--and the stress and frustration is all gone!

[JeanM]

Hi, my name is Jean. I'm homeschooling two boys, ages 8 and 6. We live in Michigan with one dog and assorted fish. I love reading about curriculum, and lurked a bit on the old boards. I'm going to try to be more active here.

Jean

[Qs3]

Hi everyone! I'm Quincy. I've been a lurker for several months, but I couldn't resist the new boards. So, here I am.

I moved to the Atlanta area about 9 months ago with my dh of 8 years and our ds7, dd4, and dd2. Previously we lived in Idaho. (And had a very short stop in Louisiana.)

We always wanted our children to have a classical education, but the schools were too expensive. Our ds attended Christian private school for Preschool and PS for K. After moving to LA, we put him in PS. Unfortunately, the whole experience was less than great. A month later we took ds out, and our homeschool adventure began! I came across these boards before I read TWTM, but when I finally read the book I knew that it was the perfect fit for our family. We're half way through 1st grade and loving it.

[momtoccm]

I'm Sarah. I'm not sure if I ever posted on the other boards. I read it some a couple years ago. Then I got overwhelmed with a bunch of back to back moves and am just starting to get caught up again. We moved to NC, just outside of Charlotte, 3 months ago and hope to stay here for a while. I have three children (8 yob, 5 yog, & 3 yog).

Sarah

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

Hi! Thought I'd better get my intro in here, even though I've been posting. ;)

While Dh and I have 9 children (ages 4-31), between us...we are HS'ing *our* two sons (ages 4 & 6), yet I do afterschooling in the summer with *my* three (ages 10-13). Clear as mud? :p lol

Anyway, as you can see from my siggy we are using the following (as soon as it arrives!): Explode the Code, Language Lessons by Sandy Queen, Singapore Maths, and 100 EZ Lessons...along with copywork, daily narration and recitation and lots of read alouds.

I'd say we follow a 'blend' of WTM, Trivium Pursuit and LCC...but also love Ruth Beechick methods for LA. So, while we are classical homeschoolers we are not purists to any 'camp'. :D (most of us are not, I guess).

What we like from LCC is a main core focus...and the focus on latin.
What we like from WTM is the 4 year cycles and notebooking.
What we like from Trivium Pursuit is the waiting a bit for formal grammar and also not introducing the ancients to our littles.

So, there ya have it! :rolleyes:

[Rhonda@LivingWater]

I read through them all to make sure I did not post again, I don't know how I missed this thread.:o
I am Rhonda from Tennessee.
Married for 19 years, three kids ages 10, 8, and 6.
We have homeschooled from the beginning and I am currently teaching 5th grade, 2nd grade, and Kindergarten/First.
We use a mix of Classical, CM and Beechick so I suppose we are eclectic. :)
The WTM was the first book my dh picked out when we were deciding to homeschool and I refer to it often. I have to confess, I have the first edition because I have had it so long.
These boards are a great help to me, I receive a lot of encouragment and information and I hope I can occassionally be a help to someone else!

[Pretty in Pink]

hi all, i'm elizabeth. dh and i have three boys and baby on the way. this is our 5th year homeschooling.


my dh is active duty Marine Corps. we just love the military lifestyle and have totally embraced all that it has to offer!

anyway, i read TWTM last summer and it just clicked for me. this is our first year implementing a "classical" curriculum. we are strongly considering a switch to TOG at this point.

[Linda in NM]

I'm homeschooling for life my 13 yos, who is a championship hockey player--goalie for the Bantam AA state team for New Mexico. It's an exhausting ride, but he loves it--hockey on an almost daily basis.

My favorite educational philosopher is Charlotte Mason, although I do ascribe to some of the classical educational ideas as well. We follow an eclectic curriculum (foreign languages, VideoText for algebra, Trisms for history, IEW for writing, etc.--lots of additional stuff). We love living books and reading aloud...science is my son's favorite subject, and we're enjoying Rainbow Science this year (along with the Planet Earth videos).

I'm a professional instructional designer (although I'm not "active" these days--I'm just teaching at two online universities and working as a professional editor--also online!) I love my laptop.:)

[SandraDumas]

age 27
located in the South
2 dc, 6 and 4
been posting here for about 2.5 years
may delete this account and use my new screen name for security reasons...my dh made my account with my real name. (I hate that!)

[Philothea]

I first decided that I wanted to homeschool when I was 17 and it was also then I knew that I wanted to be married. So when I met my future husband at 19, we already had the same goals in mind. We were both traditional Catholics, for those of you who don't know, most traditional Catholics homeschool. So there was no tension on the HSing issue from the start.

Ever since I was pregnant with my first child, we have been looking forward to the day we would homeschool. Well, I should say I have obsessed over it. I bought all the K books that I wanted/needed when my son was 3. We started K last year in may when he turned four. I just love doing this every day and cannot imagine being happier doing anything else.

Our main reason for homeschooling is so that our children can get a great education in line with our religious beliefs. We also like that we can choose what our children are exposed to and to whom.

I have been so encouraged by all of the knowledgeable parents here and I am glad to be part of this forum.

I'm currently finishing up my BA in history. My pet "causes" are homeschooling and helping others eliminate or reduce TV watching in their lives. That said I do like a good movie, my favorite is A&E's Pride and Prejudice. My favorite authors are Austen and Dickens.

[LeeBelle]

We started homeschooling our then 2nd grader and 1st grader four years ago after 2 years of public school. At the time it was a temporary solution to living in a poor school district (Washington, DC) while my husband was stationed at the Pentagon.

Now we've moved to a much better school district in a different state and yet I am still at it!!! I've also added my two younger kids to the mix, so I'm currently home teaching a 5th grader, 4th grader, 1st grader and a kinder! I love the control and flexibility that I have over what we teach our kids. I love that my kids are each other's best friends. I love that I get to see the lightbulbs go off when one of kids learns something new. And I love that I am gaining an education that I never received through high school, college and graduate school!

One of the neatest things that have happened since I began teaching my children at home is seeing friends who laughed in disbelief when I told them that I was going to homeschool now becoming homeschooling families themself!! And now I'm the expert :)

Blessings,

Lee

[amanda]

Hello!! I am Amanda. I have been married to my wonderful husband for almost 6 years. We have 4 amazing children..7yo dd, 3yo ds, 2yo dd, and 8 month old dd. We discovered TWTM when our oldest was 4yo and knew it would be the right fit for us.

[Testimony]

My name is Karen aka Testimony. I have two sons. I wish that I could have more, but that's it. It is medical. We have homeschooled since the beginning. When they came out of my womb, I read to them. I was called to homeschool.

My sons are 10 and 8 years old. They are in 4th and 2nd grade. I could have put the 10 year old in 5th grade or maybe even 6th. He is very strong academically. He could read by about age 4, but I waited to age 5 to really help him with phonics. It came so easily for him and for me. However, he is a December baby. His maturity is different. I just maintain him in the 4th grade. He does well, but 4th grade has given him his challenges.

My second one is harder. Academics don't come easy for him. He struggled with reading and so I kept him back in kindergarten. I am glad because it built his self-confidence academically. I took my time with him in phonics. I even put aside the phonics and now...He is reading on a third grade level and understanding what he is reading. His struggle now is math. So, I am junking the books and making up my own math for him.

I am going less textbooks as I work through each year of my homeschooling. I go more with what I have. I have a lot of books and so my children can read them. I relax more. I don't stress about having to complete a textbook. If it takes us two years to finish a book that its OK.

[Tina Duke]

I haven't frequented the board much in the last couple of years or so so I thought maybe an introduction would be in order. I don't usually go to the general board so I hope it's ok to post this here. My name is Tina and I've been married to my dh Rick for 20 years. We have 3 kiddos. Andrew is 12 and in 7th grade, Ben is almost 6 and in K and Leah turned 2 at the end of Dec. We've always homeschooled. I used SOTW and the activity guides with my oldest when he was younger. We've just started using Biblioplan and I think it will be a good fit for us. I *think* I've decided to stay on the same topic with the boys even though they are spaced pretty far apart, at least for the next douple of years. I think it will make it easier for me. Not to mention that with Ben I think he will enjoy learning more Am History in the next couple of years. I'll probably do SOTW and act guides with him too...probably starting in 3 grade or so. Anyway, I used to come here often but I've mostly lurked lately, and just wanted to say Hi!

[Denise in IN]

I'm copying this from my post on the General board, since I like to hang out in both places. :)

I'm Denise, and I live in northeast Indiana, close to Ft. Wayne. My dh grew up here, and I've lived here almost 17 years. We just built a house right next to dh's parents.

We have three boys, ages 8 1/2, 6 1/2, and 3 1/2, and one girl, age 3. Our daughter was born in China and adopted by us at 18 months (thus the small age difference between ds 3 and dd!).

We're in our fourth year of homeschooling; my sons are 3rd and 1st grade. We are loosely following TWTM at this point. I discovered these boards 2-3 years ago while looking for good curriculum advice, but I've stayed around for all the good enabling and good company! I can proudly say that I now make my own yogurt, own a front-load washing machine, make vanilla, drink Mike's, own more bookshelves (and booKshelves), and use Foil Hat soap! :D

I like to scrapbook, bake, eat chocolate, read, listen to music, and play the piano in the spare moments when I'm not taking care of my family or on the computer. :rolleyes:

[twoblessings]

I am a homeschooling mom of 2 dd's ages 13 & 6. This is our 3rd year homeschooling. We want to homeschool through High school but, we will take one year at a time and see where we end up. Dh and I have been married for 13 yrs. We live in Michigan. Both husband and I were born and raised here.

I lurk on this board more than I post. I just have to say, I love this board it really helps me sometimes, and sometimes it gets me into trouble :)

Many blessings to all!

[denise]

Hello, I am new here !

I am looking in to History and have some concerns about upper grades and Gov. History civic Economics.

My son will be in 5th grade next year, and I want to knwo how to add this in the latter grades if using The Well Trained Mind programs

Thank you for your time

Denise in TX:)

[Shaner]

Howdy,

I'm Gregory and while we have been thinking and talking about home schooling for the past few years, we finally got really serious about due to some negative social issues in my childrens ps. We are starting in a few weeks and are very excited. I work from home so my wife will be the main lead, but I get to help out every now and then!:D We have two munchkins, dd9 and ds6, live in rural western slope Colorado (thats the nice way of saying we live in the sticks) and are very excited about what we have read and learned through the WTM and all of the forum support!

[nuttman]

Hi Ya'll. My name is Keith. I've been married for 34 years to my wife Kathy. We have 5 kids of our own who are grown. Two of them are still in college. A few years ago we obtained custody of 3 of our grandchildren. The youngest was just a few months old at the time. Three years ago we adopted them, but we chose to leave their last name alone.

All of our children went to public school. When the youngest grandchild, Connor, was 4 I went thru 100ez with him and he did great. I retired in 1999. Two years ago, I started homeschooling all three of them. However, on Christmas Eve my wife found a lump in her breast. Being the unselfish wife she always is, she kept that burden to herself until after the holidays. Then on January 2, she told us the news. The doctors found another lump in her other breast. We had to put the kids back in school. There was no way we could handle it all. Kathy went through a double masectomy. several months of chemo and radiation, but is doing really good now. So this year, I started homeschooling them again.

I do all the teaching and stuff. Kathy is the school nurse and lunch cook. She does listen to them read some and also at nights.

Cory is 13, Kayla is 10, and Connor is 7. I really enjoy having them home and working with them. Cory still would like to go back to school, but I think it is grwoing on him.

I really enjoy reading the posts on this site.

[HSMom2One]

Hello friends,
I've been to the WTM website often, but did not check out the forums until recently. Now I wish I'd done this months ago because its such a wealth of info.

Short and sweet bio:
Been married to Michael for going on 14 years, and we have a blended family. Six grown ds's between us (with d-in-laws and grandchildren too), and finally one dd age 8 - a late in life surprise. :) We decided to withdraw from ps last year and hs for the first time in our lives. What an adventure!

Read WTM last fall and knew it was the right thing, plus I work part-time at a classical Christian school teaching art to k-6 graders. Dd is doing really well with hs, but misses friends a lot. She is very social so I go out of the way to connect with other children and groups.

Any other older parents raising young children? Grandparents hs-ing little ones? I'd love to connect.

Blessings,
Lucinda
Oregon

[VanessaS]

I've been to the WTM website often, but did not check out the forums until recently. Now I wish I'd done this months ago because its such a wealth of info.Same here. I read TWTM last year (as well as some Charlotte Mason books) and was very impressed. It's the education I wish I'd had myself.

My DS is still too young for "real" homeschooling, but we've started with some preschool-type stuff since he's so eager to learn. I'm brushing up my Spanish and math knowledge while we wait.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the conversations going on here. I just found out about LCC and TOG yesterday.

[Paula in PA]

I was a lurker / sometime poster on the old boards and am trying to get back into posting some here.:) My goal on the board right now is to make it to Larvae status.

I first learned about hs from a magazine article, then ended up with 'Homeschooling for Dummies', which led me to the WTM. Those 2 books are what convinced dh that this was the right path for our family and we all absolutely love it!

I am 40, married 16 years to dh, 39. We have 1 dd7 (almost 8:eek:). We started on this path when dd was 3 and hope / plan to continue up through high school, if possible. We are secular, so have had the normal problems finding curriculum, but have found it's getting easier each year :).

Paula

[HSMom2One]

I was a lurker / sometime poster on the old boards and am trying to get back into posting some here.:) My goal on the board right now is to make it to Larvae status.

This is one thing I have not been able to track down. Where do you find out more about our status? There are some very serious posters here I've noticed, and I'm still in the visiting mode since I've only posted about 6 times.

Lucinda

[Elm in NJ]

I'm Elmeryl (39) married to Julian for 13 and a bit years. Have 4 boys ages 12, 8, 7, 7. I have been homeschooling for nearly 6 years. I am originally from Freetown, Sierra Leone but went to school in Scotland for 6 years before moving over here. I have lived in NJ for 18 years. Four years ago, I took all 4 kids and we took 10 suitcases and shipped(freight) about 10 more boxes and went to Freetown for 8 months and then to London for 2 months. It was a very expensive but worthwhile trip and apart from my 8 year old who doesn't adapt well to anything, all the others want to go back for a visit although as many twins have told me, a 3 week visit this time.


Elmeryl (using a variety of curriculum including CLE maths and reading IEW, Pass guides for science and history Science Explorer, SOTW, Kingfisher History, Latin Prep, Elementary Greek, Apples and Pears and a host of other things).

[Kate in Arabia]

I just realized I never posted here, and actually I don't know that I ever "formally" introduced myself on the old boards..

I'm a 38 yr old Muslim American (convert), married to 33 yr old dh, who is a naturalized US citizen of Indian origin. We've been married for 13 yrs, and have three kids ds 10, ds 6 and dd 2. We lived in Chicago for 9 yrs, then moved to Arabia and have been here for 4+ years.

We've always homeschooled our kids, and although we take it year by year, expect to homeschool for the duration.

Kate

[Shannon]

Hi! My name is Shannon and I currently live in NJ with my husband and 7 y.o. son. We moved here 4 1/2 yrs. ago for my husband to attend seminary and we've got another 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 yrs. to go!

If you would have told me 8 years ago that I would be homeschooling I would have said, "Yeah, right!" But that's all we've done and I cannot imagine doing anything else.

I just recently found this board and I can tell already that you all provide a wealth of knowledge and advice about homeschooling.

Shannon

[Nikita]

I posted an intro on the General board but I'll copy it here since this is where I'm reading and posting more:

I'm Nikita, homeschooling in southern Ontario with dh and my 2 children who have never been to school. We do "classical lite", so I have lurked here for a while but never posted - I feel like my experience is a bit different from a lot of folks who have a more structured homeschool. I love reading everyone's comments on these boards, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all that you accomplish with your kiddos - my older one is just not academically inclined even though he's bright. So...

13yo son (grade 8) is currently doing Singapore's New Syllabus Math, and Galore Park's Latin Prep 1 (thanks to Laura in China for recommending it!) We follow the suggestions in The Writer's Jungle for writing, because he is such a reluctant writer, although he's done some R&S grammar in the past and we've dabbled in lots of other writing programs unsuccessfully. We're also taking a break from formal science and history right now and unschooling those, as he has his plate full with a bunch of outside activities. He's been involved in First Lego League for the past 3 years as well. These outside activities are crucial for him as he is so social - it's getting harder and harder for us to keep homeschooling as most of his peers are drifting off to institutional schools for high school and he feels the isolation.

9yo daughter (grade 4) is finishing up Miquon Math supplemented with Math Mammoth right now (then we'll switch to Singapore), and L'Art de Lire French, also Writer's Jungle for writing and R&S 3 Grammar. I'm using Nebel's for science for her, and SOTW although not on a strict schedule. I'll be starting the Trail Guide geography program with both of them in a couple of weeks (after a family vacation). She's involved in a lot of extra-curricular stuff too, mostly music- and dance-related.

Nikita

[Becca]

I have been homeschooling from the start. I have 3 dc - ds9, dd6 and dd4.

[Debbie in London]

Hi. My name is Debbie and I'm a Kansan, currently living in London. Prior to our move at the end of May 2007, DS11 had been in ps and DS6 was at a private K. Homeschooling is something I had thought about before (I was doing some afterschooling) and after having a horrible 4th grade year, we decided that our move provided the perfect opportunity. We'll probably be here another year but I'm not sure how long I'll hs after that. Things are going well with DS6 and I can see continuing with him but I feel like I'm failing DS11. :( It's Feb. and I feel like we're just starting to find our groove. Is it always this hard when you take them out of school? But then again when I think about it, once we move back to KS I won't have as many interesting things to go see/do so getting everything done shouldn't be as big of a challenge. Oops, got a little off track there. :) Anyway, I'm glad to have found this wonderful forum because you all are a wealth of information!! Many thanks to you all!

Debbie

[Lisa]

I just found this board. I've been hsing for 6.5 years. I've been married to the love of my life for 16 years. We have four sons, ages 12, 10, 7 & 4. We live in frigid MN. I read the book WTM and gleaned many good ideas and perspectives from it.

[BizyPenguin]

Well better late than never. I'm Stacy and I'm homeschooling my ds(5th) and dd (2). I homeschooled ds K-2 and then he attended ps for 3rd and 4th and he's back home this year (5th). We live in California. I love the moms here on these boards. They're a helpful bunch. I've been on these boards for a few years now. (With a two year break during ds's public schooling.) I took a board break for a few weeks in Jan and when I returned...Wow! A new forum! Gotta confess, I miss the simplicity of the old boards, but change is a good thing, so I'm trying hard to figure out all the new bells and whistles.

[Suzybearybake]

I live in a small rural town in Illinois with my husband and three of my four boys (ages 21, 12, 10, 9). We decided to homeschool when my oldest son returned from living with his father in Georgia for two years. He was flunking out of the public school. He was in eighth grade and could not borrow to subtract or do anything that resembled long division. In spite of that , he was enrolled in pre-algebra. I was concerned that if I did not pull him out and get him up to speed he would end up dropping out because of sheer frustration.
My second son was enrolled in Kindergarden at the public school and was working at the third grade level. They refused to test him, promote him,or teach him where he was. He was bored senseless. At that point, we decided that even though we were not exactly sure what we were doing we could not possibly mess up their education much more than it already was.
The Well Trained Mind was a Godsend in helping us find some sense of direction. We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of resources available and found that many did not fit with our philosophy of education. SWB helped to clarify our curriculum choices and enabled us to locate rigorous and challanging programs so we could wade through the twaddle and finally pursue a superior education,

[clane]

We're all native Floridians here: myself, along with DH, DS9, DD4 and DD2. The 2007-2008 school year is our first year homeschooling and DH wanted us to use the K12 virtual academy this year. I am not sure what route we will take next year, but I am quite intrigued by TWTM and throughly enjoyed listening to SWB at FPEA last May.