Thursday, May 12, 2011

Our Call to the Homeschool Way of Life

After reading Tiffany's touching and heartfelt post about her call to homeschool, I too am inspired to share our journey!

It was four years ago and I was extremely pregnant with my third son and took my oldest son for Kindergarten registration. Now, I was very hesitant about doing all of this and had fleeting thoughts about possibly homeschooling him since he was very advanced in reading and phonics at four and the thought of a boy his age sitting still in school all day just made me cringe! Even for this well behaved good little boy it is a loooooong day!

So... off we went to registration. I saw kids in the cafeteria that were not very well mannered at all and did not like the idea that my son would be influenced by kids like this. While he took his pre-K testing I questioned the teachers about what he'd be doing all day long. I was not told very much about what he would be doing, but, was told about the programs that they used to have that were recently cut due to budget expenses. This along with redistricting woes that could have potentially led my son to change schools several times before going to middle school was enough to think more about this homeschooling lifestyle.

Soon after that I gave birth to my third son, who was and is a little gift from God! This was the child that loved to nurse and he did pretty much around the clock for the first four months of his life which was really a blessing in disguise! I spent that summer reading every home school book I could get my hands on while I nursed that angel baby! I learned so much and much of it was overwhelming, but, in a good way. I still was not convinced that I could do this. I asked God if this was indeed what He wanted me to do, then to please show me some kind of sign that would lead me to it. We joined LLL and went to a meeting one morning and one of the leaders was SO friendly and just had a "way" about her and I swore she home schooled her children. I chatted with her alot after the meeting and we wound up swapping email addresses and home I went and sent her a friendly, but, inquiring email if she was indeed a homeschooler. I was right on the money too! Not only was she a homeschooler, but, she has been a wealth of knowledge and insight for me over the past years. But, of course, God likes to make sure that I indeed get His messages so there were more signs. I had been working with my father-in-law and my husband before giving birth to my last son and there was a patient who was so nice and we'd chat many times when he frequented the office. While we were out getting some ice cream that summer we ran into him and somehow the conversation led to homeschooling. I was unaware that his three grandchildren were homeschooled and he had many encouraging and uplifting stories to share!
I took this as another sign that this was indeed my calling. So I decided to take a giant leap of faith and off we went!

I was very happy to begin with Kindergarten since there are no reporting rules in my state and legally he would not have to be in school until the age of six, so, it was a more relaxing way to begin our journey. It was a wonderful year filled with excitement, fun and we both learned SO much that year. I truly love homeschooling my sons and I swear I learn as much as they do. I feel fortunate to be able to be chosen for this lifestyle. That is what it is too, a way of life. We do not simply "do school" at home. It is so much more than that. It is a conscious choice to be there for them 24/7 in this time of learning all that they need to know to be good faith filled adults who know that with God all things are possible.

My kids continue to amaze me each day and for that I am truly grateful!

4 comments:

  1. Ann-Marie~I loved your story! I must figure out the linky thing so we can all share;-) Isn't our God an awesome God for providing us just the signs we need to do as He wills? What a blessing to have those lovely people cross your path. And an even bigger blessing that you had the opportunity to read up on homeschooling that summer! What precious boys you must have, blessed by your time and sacrifice. I was thinking about blog posting our homeschooling schedule/routine in hopes others will share that too. If I decide against it, I will e-mail you privately. God Bless your weekend!

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  2. Thank you again Tiffany! He is such an awesome God and the longer I homeschool the more I realize exactly how He carefully plans out our lives for us! You truly are an inspiration to me :D It is so funny how our paths have crossed and I love that we think along the same lines so much. Each spring I reflect on the year coming to a close and this is a wonderful way to remember the important things that led me to our journey! I hope you have a truly blessed weekend as well.

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  3. Oh no, I think my comment got deleted with the blogger maintenance last week. I hope you received my last one!? I loved your story and hope to do a linky so that others may share theirs as well. The signs that God provided you are amazing and I'm sure others would be inspired too. God Bless your week and those sweet boys of yours. BTW, I have 2 siblings and one dear friend that each have 3 boys like you:-)

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  4. Thanks so much for re-posting your sweet thoughts Tiffany! I did see them and they made me smile. I love how God provides what you need when you need it. I hope you all have a very blessed week too!

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