The End Of 2013!

Without sounding like I am rushing things..

I am glad to see this year come and go. 

Here is a little rundown of the end of this year for the Jacksons!

I watched my kids grow closer to their dad and there is

nothing better than that.  There is something special about

the bond between a father and a son - or sons!

We took random driving trips on some school days just to 

get away and see something new.  This picture was taken at the overlook

of Rockwood, TN.  The kids loved it!  They have no fear.

Halloween 2013 was one of the nastiest days of the year weather wise.

Most activities were cancelled and we ended up just staying at home.

They still got to dress up.. but of course, I forgot to take pictures.  

We began studying money and finances so one of 

our homeschool trips was to Ace's favorite place - 

The Waffle House!  The boys had to purchase and pay 

with the money we had already discussed.  They had

to learn a lesson in "you get what you earn and cannot

spend what you do not have!"  

And, I have to brag on this little man growing up

fast on me! Blaze will be turning 10 in a few days and

I couldn't be more proud of the man he seems to be

becoming.  He is currently learning to write in cursive too! 

We have been talking alot about what 2014 will bring for our family.

My husband has not had the best year career wise and we

are not sure where that will lead us next, but we are

just learning to live life day by day and enjoy the little moments

that we are starting to realize are actually what life is all about! 

The "blizzard" of 2013

Please try not to laugh.. 

This year, we wanted to focus on starting traditions.  We decided

that the night before Christmas Eve, DJ will leave a present out

in a small stocking for the three people in his life.  I'm always open

to getting another present!  We also decided to give them a few

things early because we were stuck inside the house with a stomach bug

that, by the way, was horrible this year, and they were getting really

bored quick.  They loved waking up to find these things at their door!

To say that this Winter's weather has been crazy is an understatement.

The Saturday before Christmas, we had to stay up all night long because of this wonderful storm that caught us off guard.  That day, the tempature went up 20 

degrees to 57!  The next day, it was 28!!  The storms came and went quick, but we did end up with no electricity and two scared little boys for a few hours.

I am glad that the holidays are over and that life can hopefully get back to a somewhat normal routine.  We will be back to doing school work on Monday, Jan 6th and in the meantime, we will be making some big family decisions and taking steps to ensure we have a bright future ahead.  My wish

for 2014 is that my family is happy, healthy, and know they are loved.  

Merry Christmas to all of you from DJ, Ashley, Blaze, and Ace!

...And A Happy New Year!! :) 

We Are Under Construction!

I may be back to the blogging world but...

please give me a little time and check back

for updates and new posts.

I will post some of them back at their original date..

so some you may think you have seen but have not! 

The first posts will be about homeschooling -

and then I will get caught up on the rest.

Thanks!! 

Our Homeschool Room Is Finally Ready!

We moved in just a few short weeks ago, but it was the first room that we needed to complete (minus paint and a few remodel touches!)

This is the before: It's a kitchen nook/ breakfast area

And Here is the After! We still plan to do some added touches, maybe even 

chalkboard walls or some funky color and a new fan with more colorful blades.

I love that my husband hung the flag first thing! And yes, we have Ten Commandments

on the wall which I think is also important.

Because we do our work in here but also in alot of other areas, I decided not to

do traditional desks and instead go with lapdesks and this coffee table doubled as a seating area.

The blue things underneath were purchased at Walmart along with the coffee table.

Most of my posters are from the Dollar Tree or a local store called School Daze.

The desk was a gift from my mother in law and the chair I had before so not much cost here either. 

We chose to hang art from a laundry line.

I added a water fountain and small light to bring comfort and quiet to the room as needed.

Above is my teaching area.  I will need a bigger or second board before too long.

The blue bins are their "lockers" and the black bin is for completed work.

It was a very exciting and new process for me to put this room together.  It was a long time coming as we had moved around alot and were not able to have a room.  Since we are not sure whether our landlord will want to sale, we have made no attempt to paint here ... honestly, this is the only room we have done.

I knew that it was important for them to have this space and I am glad we did it - and under $500 at that.  I didn't add up everything as I went because it was a year to year process but if I was guessing I would say I spent about $150 of my own money doing this room with most items being used or from local discount stores.  It turned out great and I am very pleased! But now that means I have the rest of the house left!!

Stay Tuned I Guess! ;)

Surprise!!!

Dear Readers,

The last time that I posted on this blog was in November of 2012.  To say that we have gone through alot of changes is an understatement.  I wasn't sure if I would come back here or start over, but let's face it, this is my home.  I love to write and will always be a writer whether I like it or not.  There have been so many times where I wrote something here and then thought "God, is this really supposed to be out there for all to see?" but in the end, I think each of us needs to heal from something and we heal in all different ways - for me, it is writing.  My book is at a stand still to say the least and writer's block frustrated me to the point where I was ready to give up, but God clearly had other plans.

It will take me some time, but I will get this blog caught back up and I will be adding my other blog about homeschooling to this one as well.   Yes, for those of you who don't already know, we have ventured into the new world of homeschooling.

  Alot of people have come to me for advice and it is a huge part of my day to day life so it will be a big part of this blog - You will notice that I have updated this blog before this post with all of the current homeschool blog posts from my previous website.  Although this is the first official post here, there are ten or more blog posts I have moved over before this one so be sure to check them all out!

  I love that I blogged alot of my life and I think it's important to get back to that.  So, here I am! :)

For now, I leave you with only this.. an adorable photo of my boys all grown up.  Blaze is almost 10 and Ace is 7.  They are in 2nd and 4th grade, at home of course.  I will be turning 30 this year and DJ and I just celebrated 10 years of marriage! Be back soon to tell you guys all the details of life from then to now! 

Organization Is Key In The Homeschool World...

I will make this short and sweet because:
 a) i'm exhausted
 b) it's hot and
 c) my kids are currently covered head to toe in mud.

 I am working on a new homeschool room.. and no, I cant share yet because of the move and such but promise to very soon so I thought it would be nice to post some other ideas I have come across along the way:

The best organization tips Ive found so far I found here - http://organizedhome.com/family/ties/homeschool-storage-strategies


Some of the best rooms Ive found so far I found here - 
http://www.houzz.com/Homeschool-room/


And somehow I ran across this lady's YouTube channel and couldn't get enough of her adorable classroom fit for all of her growing kids - 
Homeschool Room - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQe_0-trKqI


So far the tips that seem to stick out the most are color coding instead of labeling everything by name and using unordinary "school room" items like dishpans and shoe boxes for your school instead of the normal everyday items you would find in an actual classroom.  Hope this helps some of you stocking, finishing, or just getting started on that new homeschool classroom you have been dreaming of! 

A (Long) Random Post About Summer 2013

Well... it's officially Summer 2013.  So far not too hot, but the mosquitos are eating my alive and I remember why Fall is my favorite season and not this hot ole mess that we can barely breathe nor walk or function in! 

First thing I want to talk about on this random blog post is my kids doing this:

 I think it may be the most annoying thing in the world to here the words "whhhaattt?"  followed by that crazy face - although the minion above looks really cute while doing it, right?  The age old question of "what?" is sometimes even replaced with "why" or "how" and that is no better.

I can feel the gray hairs growing as I type. 

Onto my next rambling post photo... I wish that I could tell my sons this everyday and they knew, without a doubt, that I meant it:

Blaze has been showing some major signs of depression or low self esteem and I just wish I could show him who he is in the eyes of the people that love him.  Who he is in CHRIST.  But, as his mother I simply cannot.  That is something he will have to figure out on his own in his own time.  For now, all I can do is boost his self esteem, praise his work ethics and endurance, and teach him what my parents never taught me - that vision plus energy plus faith equals success. 

What will be the next random post photo on this post.. well here it is:



I would like to sell or trade the following books if anyone is interested.

I have books for Pre-K through second grade and I am looking for books up to fifth grade.

Contact me via ashleywilsonjackson@gmail.com if you are interested. 

Next random photo... we "skipped" our homeschooling lesson for the day when we heard that the Titans were in town.. just one of many pros to homeschooling I suppose!

And next on my random list are these books that I would like to giveaway to one lucky winner.  If you are interested in winning this prize pack, please email me, FB, or tweet me before July 5th.  I will choose a winner on July 6th.  Some of the items in the giveaway are Quick Math Quiz drills for third and fourth grade, a teachers notepad that sticks of your fridge, a large Science Is Fun book for ages 7-12, a Math Unit book for ages 6-8, a Reading Connection book for 3rd grade, the new children's book by Tiki Barber, and this ugly hotel bedspread! Okay, just kidding on the bedspread..

If you are still reading this long, crazy blog post then THANK YOU.  Now it's time to talk about something very near and dear to my heart (and a lot more serious than above.)  This little girl below is my precious angel of a God-Daughter named Karissa.  She has brought such joy to my life as well as my husband's.  I have been around her since she was born and I love watching her learn and grow - but as we watched her, we realized that she was not progressing like most little girls here age.

Her mother, my dear friend Tiffany, took her to a specialist who sent her for futher testing and diagnosed her with Lissencephaly AKA Smooth Brain.  It has a horrible prognosis and very large death rate with the average age of death being 3 years old and the longest anyone has ever lived with it being 22 years old.  Obviously, this is a devastating blow to all of those who love her.  We would really appreciate prayers and support as we walk this journey with her mom and the rest of her family.  I just know that if anyone can kick butt it's Karissa and I have faith that God's mighty healing hand will help this little girl have a happy and healthy life. 



So, as my random but wonderful blog post comes to an end, I want to leave all of you with this.  Please never change who you are and let people love you exactly where you are at in your life.  We can never be perfect, there is no such thing as perfect people... but good news! There is a perfect God, he loves you, and he sent his son to die so that you would have everlasting life.  My challenge for you this week is to stay positive, read your bible, pray, and just smile a whole lot.  I love each and every one of you and I would love to pray for you too! Leave a prayer request in the comments and I will lift you up in prayer this week. 



For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present or things yet to come. nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the Love of Christ! - Romans 8:38

Landon Ace Jackson Turns Seven!

I want to wish my youngest son a very happy 7th birthday!

His only wish... a tweet from Josh Freeman, QB of the Tampa Bay Bucs.

(He got his wish, yall.  Huge mommy moment for me!)

And somewhere in the middle of Mr. Landon Ace Jackson turning the big 7, he began to look

a lot more like his mama.  I kinda like finally having a kid that looks like me. :) 

Baby boy, I cannot begin to tell you how much joy you have brought into my life.  I couldn't even put the words onto the blog.  I will always love you, protect you, and care for you.  You will always be my baby boy, my youngest son, one of the three loves of my life.  I hope your birthday was the best one ever!  Now, stop growing please.  Love, mommy 

"May" We Have Joy In Our Hearts!

For May, we really wanted to focus on God's love and how it applies to everyday life.

Children have a hard time applying life principles just by hearing them over and over..

or sitting in a classroom and being "taught" about them. 

I decided it was time to teach my children that not all children have a loving home, a faith based church, love and support from family and friends.  Not all children have a home, have a roof over their heads, or have a car to get to and from the store or where they need to go.  We learned about kids all over the world whose only wish is to go to school. 

My kids were floored.

The thought that there were children in the world who wanted to go to school is something my kids just didn't want to believe.  But, we got on the Internet, started exploring, and my kids learned fast I wasn't just trying to get them to enjoy school more - they saw they were blessed.

Sure, it didn't stick and ten minutes later they were whining that homeschool was running over time and that their brains were freezing up from all the things of the day, but the lesson was learned and I know that it stuck with them so that is the best I can ask for. 

One thing that we learned about that most public school kids probably didn't was - the NFL draft.  My friends thought I was crazy that I would use this as a teaching tool, but we actually found it very beneficial.  The kids watched as adults cried over finally seeing their dreams come a reality.  They quickly said "I can't wait to be up there" and that was the start of our discussion.

You can't get anywhere in life without working hard.  And sometimes you will fail.

After all, did you know that Micheal Jordan couldn't even make the varsity basketball team at his high school? (You're welcome for that bit of info!)

I think instilling in the kids that they have to work for everything and chances are not going to just fall into their lap is just as important, if not more so, than doing all of our school work.  Sure, we need to know Math, but what will Math help if you do not even know how to act in society? Especially in today's world.  And that leads me to my next topic...

How have you tackled the manners situation? Although my children have been taught from birth to say please, thank you, maam, and sir, my kids are around children all the time whose parents do not have the same standards for their own children.  It has made playdates awkward and babysitting a real challenge, not to mention it gives me less and less hope for this generation.  I am not sure why people don't feel the need to teach their children to use kind words.  Why is that such old fashioned values? I couldn't tell you how many times this month alone I have been stopped by older people telling me that my child held the door for them, said a kind word, or did something nice without being asked.  They seem so surprised that a kid in today's world would even act like that - and that really hurts my heart.  To think that my children are growing up in such a cruel world with low standards and getting worse by the day makes it hard for moms and dads really trying to live by the standards of the bible and our moral beliefs as a family.  I will tackle this situation again heavily in a future post. 

As we are now halfway into May, we have been working on Money.  Of course, the boys love to wear their money PJ's so we wore them while learning how to count money and give the right amount of money back for change.  We plan to have a yard sale this summer where the kids will do all of the work and have to count their money and give back their own change.  I hope this further teaches them what we have spent about seven days learning this month.  Blaze has excelled and is counting money much faster than a third grade level and Ace is right on his level as far as the public school standards are concerned - not that we follow those anyway :) 

And, sometimes, you've just gotta pull out some board games and bribe your children to be good for the week to get what you need done.  A housewife's work is never done, then throw in stay at home mom and she has two full time jobs, but then as you finally throw in that final job of 100% homeschool teacher, and somedays we are just overworked and underpaid.  I just keep saying "I Am Blessed, I Am Blessed, I Am Blessed" 

And, because of the hard times my family seems to be going through right now, I leave this post with my favorite verse.  God has made a promise to his people so if you are one of his children then hold tight to that promise and if you are not, please know that the best thing that could ever happen to your life is Jesus and accepting him is so simple yet life changing.  He wants to carry your burdens, he wants to take away your pain, He will listen even when nobody else cares.  Nobody else in your life is going to that for nothing, but he will.  All he asks is that you give him your heart and that you live the right life.  So, do it now :)

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, Says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  

April and May Homeschooling Adventures

The boys asked me to blog about their amazing grades the last two semesters! They are so proud to now both be honor roll students! What a difference homeschool makes for our family!!

Blaze - A in Math, A in Reading, A in Bible, A in English, B in Social Studies, A in Science (Spring 2013) and in Winter 2013 Blaze made Straight A's!! Way to go buddy!!

Ace - B in Math, B in reading, A in English, A in Social Studies, A in Science (Winter 2013) and in Spring 2013, Ace made all A's except for a B in Math!

We are now starting our Summer semester which will end on August 16th.  If the boys continue to do this well for the rest of the year, they will both advance to the next grade.  We will continue with my own home made curriculum as that is what seems to work the best for our family.  If you are here reading and have questions, comments, or concerns about the grading process, I am here to chat.  I want to help others that are attempting homeschool and need help!  You can also e-mail me at ashleywilsonjackson@gmail.com for help! God Bless!!

A Special School Day At The Park!

Nice weather means park time! Who says school has to be inside??

As schoolwork becomes the everyday norm for us and we are quite a ways into our homeschool experience, we have decided that once a week, weather permitting, we will do school work at a local park.  The fresh air seems to do them good - and they made wonderful grades on what they did outside! 

When we take our school work outside, we normally just do our review workbooks instead of worksheets, lapbooks, or curriculum.  I have been working on an outside bag that is packed and ready to go with both things to do that are educational and the necessities we need such as bug spray and sunscreen so that we can just get up and go.  I am learning that the more organized you are, the better.  

A little tip from one homeschooler to another: Just because it is called homeschool doesn't mean it always have to be done in the house.  By picking different scenery and things outdoors, it takes away from the repetition of everyday school work.  As the boys seem to struggle or stress on certain days, I try to find other ways to make it unique, challenging, and fun.  My little classroom moves from place to place and we never do the same thing twice.  I have decided not to follow as strict of a schedule as I had once planned so hopefully that will also allow the boys to explore the world and learn from other things than just books.  

Our Umbrella School Choice and Why!

I have had so many people ask me a million and one questions about homeschooling that I thought it was important to give direct details and information that pertains to the way we choose to educate our children.  We have had some legal issues (post to come) but overall this has been a wonderful experience all the way around.  I stand firm on my decision to homeschool and my decision to use the umbrella school, Daniel One Academy, of Cookeville, Tennessee.

The website to the school directly is www.d1academy.org .  Here is a little info about the school provided by the website -

Daniel 1 Academy is a church-related school committed to enabling parents to educate their own children. Parents can register their children with D1A to satisfy Tennessee’s legal requirements for homeschooling. Daniel 1 offers its parents opportunities to help themselves and their children make the most of their home education experience.

Daniel 1 Academy is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, ACSI, and is a Category IV (private) school. The founders and administrators are Jack and Cindy Holman. The Holmans have 2 grown children that they homeschooled K-12 grades. Together they have been helping other families homeschool since 1992.

I know firsthand just how wonderful that Jack and Cindy are.  We had some issues with paperwork due to a move, a death in the family, and some communication issues.  There was some missing information that was very valuable and the school could have easily either turned us away or just given up.  My grandmother passed away on March 30, 2012 as most of you know and she had me put all of my family's most important paperwork including birth certificates, social security cards, health insurance forms, life insurance forms, etc, into her safe.  After her death, I had completely forgotten about the items.  When I removed the children from their former school, I was under the assumption that their former school would help get the necessary paperwork to their new homeschool, but I was unfortunately very wrong.  They had me do a Withdrawal check list including paying lunch fees, returning books, talking to teachers, and picking up all of their purchased items.  I signed them out and completed the list assuming that they would help me help my children get the very best education possible.  I never expected them to be so difficult with anything and everything pertaining to children.  When a school boasts that they want to help the children, doesn't that include the process to help the children exceed even if they are no longer at that school? It floored me as I was told it was my responsibility and not the former schools.  They had access to this paperwork, yet instead chose to withhold it thereby delaying my children being legally enrolled in this school program... but as always, D1 stepped in, stayed calm, listened to my concerns, and helped me with anything and everything I could have asked for.  Cindy was especially helpful while listening to my concerns and guiding me in the right direction.  I cannot thank them enough for their positive attitude and willingness to help us get the most of our homeschool experience.

If you are considering enrolling your child for the 2013-2014 school year, their enrollment will be opening on June 1st.  They give discounts to those who enroll early so if you are able, go ahead and do it now!

The thing that I found the most wonderful about this school is their basis for starting the program.  It's all about JESUS!  Everyone who works for or is on the board is a Christian and professes their beliefs.  This was something very important to me as I want my children being raised on the morals and beliefs I stand and build my family upon.  On the school website they discuss their beliefs by saying:

D1A is a Christian organization meaning it was started by a group of Christians, the board members are Christians as well as the staff. It is run on Christian principles and uses and promotes Christian homeschool materials. We do not allow things in the newsletter, on the website or taught in workshops that would contradict Christian values.

If you are wanting to homeschool but possibly not interested in the Christian faith or not a believer, D1 will not turn you away on that alone.  Even on their site, they say this in regards to those who believe in homeschooling but may not share the same faith values:

However, we believe all children are given to their parents by God and therefore, all parents, regardless of religious beliefs have the God-given responsibility to educate their own children. We do not require parents to sign a statement of faith in order to homeschool under D1A. We do ask that all parents respect the Christian foundation of Daniel 1 with appropriate behavior at all school events.

If only all people of this world could profess that same statement and love one another without judgement! What a wonderful place this world would be!!

So, for those of you who were asking me to blog about our homeschool choice, I hope that this post will help you find the school that we have chosen.  For those of you who do not feel D1 is a good fit, I will try to find more school resources and post them at a later time! For now, I must go because we are studying the sun and it is about to set for the evening!

Homeschooling Adventures: Feb 2013

We were off and running full speed in our homeschooling adventures.  We may have been moving and having to transition but we didn't let that stop us from learning!

February was a big month for our homeschooling adventures!

It was our second month.. and the kids were starting to get used to the schedule - even liking it and not complaining! (Thank you Jesus!)

We had packed away some books that we really weren't able to read.. until now!  What a joy it is to see your children be able to read a book without help - and Blaze is now reading chapter books!! 

Someone sent me this picture and I had it blown up and then posted it above my desk.  Sometimes we really need a reminder about just how important our job is as a mother.  Some days I get up and wonder why I chose homeschooling or why I chose to stay at home with these children since the day they were born.  There are days that I question my abilities as a teacher, a chef, a maid, a nurse, a mentor, and everything else we as mothers have to be.  But then, something little for most happens like my son scrapes his knee or one of them learns to read a word they never have before, or they get a 100 on their paper and the excitement in their eyes leaves them happy the rest of the day, and I realize that this is what I was made for.  This is what is best for my children.  Nobody is going to love them nor educate them better than me. I wholeheartedly believe that choosing homeschooling was the right thing for my family and I still stand behind that now.  The proof is in the pudding!



This month, Landon Ace Jackson, has learned short and long vowel sounds completely.  This was one thing he seemed to struggle with in school.  We have done research on bullying as he was bullied while at his former school.  He has learned about Jesus and shown interest in the bible so we have started reading it every night as well.  He has mastered addition and subtraction and we are starting multiplication.  We are working on cause and effect and he seems to grasp the idea, but needs more work to really master this.  His grades has been very good for the most part and he is now an honor roll student.  He has done exceptionally well with his behavior, sitting still, not talking while I am talking, and following simple and complex directions.  He found his interest in the weather so we worked on things such as tornadoes, rain, clouds, and the sun.  We have also been graphing the differences of the moon.  He loves homeschooling and seems to mention not going back to public school at least once a week! 

This month, Colton Blaze Jackson, has learned more about synonyms and anonyms. He has learned more about cause and effect and also differences of opinion.  He dove right in to the bible and seemed the most interested in the new testament especially Revelations.  His favorite thing to do during our homeschool time is tutor his brother.  Ace says that Blaze is his second favorite teacher - behind mom of course!  We have continued his learning about the life cycles of plants and animals like what he was learning at public school before he left.  He had already planned on doing a science experiment and had already turned in his syllabus so we decided to go ahead and finish it as well!  We did our experiment on which Nissan vehicle gets the best gas mileage!  I may let Blaze do a future guest post on this blog to talk about what he learned - and what this means for his future!  We picked right back up on long division and multiplication and we finished up learning the multiplication tables through 12.  He started reading chapter books and also the bible every night.  His favorite thing to do at night is read to his little brother, Ace, and this seems to help both of them with their reading and comprehension skills.  Blaze has done wonderfully in homeschool so far and is also now an honor roll student!  Way to go Blazey!! 

We were trying to find some fun ideas for snack time and something that the kids would find creative but also could grab on their own and we found these adorable butterfly snacks (pictured above).  We made 28 so that each child would have one snack bag per day for 2 weeks.  When they are at "school", they are allowed one snack and one lunch.  Sometimes if we get into something deep enough where we go over our time, I will choose to grab a quick snack or play a movie pertaining to what we learn during dinner.  DJ (their father for those who do not know) has also jumped into homeschooling!  He is now doing their physical education and jumping into History when we find something of interest to all of us!  He was so skeptical at first about the whole homeschool process (post on that to come) so to see him come around has made me so happy!  I think, in time, everyone of my family and friends who first thought homeschool was wrong or weird will join the bandwagon of homeschool lovers and see why I pushed and believed so much in this process!



So, As I finish this post I had to post the picture above.  Two years ago when I first even thought of homeschooling, I had a severe misconception of what it was all about - and now I am finding out that many who have not seen it firsthand or have not done their research believe these lies as well.  I have seen teachers, family members, friends, etc. not believe that this is what is in the best interest for my children.  They do not believe in the homeschool process or that a child can learn as much at home as they can in public school.  I feel that cannot be farther from the truth!  But, this picture tells the story of what society thinks of homeschooling and how it effects everyone along the way.  Our neighbors think its weird that their kids are at school and our kids are not.  They ask what reason our kids are sometimes out playing before school is out or how they learn in a short time frame each day.  Well, first of all we are not outside just playing, we are actually learning.  Everything is a learning process when you are in homeschool.  Even our grocery store trips become a learning experience!  As for the short time frame,  I teach two kids instead of thirty and that leaves alot of time to learn without it taking a full 6 hour school day.  We still learn at least 3.5 hours each day, but many days we end up discussing things or finding interesting things on the internet and some days, we are 8 hours in and realize we are way over time!  Today's society seems to think that we are either hillbillies or crazy religious, that we make our own clothes and soap, and that we do not use technology or watch television.  This could not be further from the truth!  I do not believe that I have to do it all to be successful as a mother, wife, or homeschool teacher, and we use alot of technology to learn different things at different times.  Don't be so quick to judge just because we took our kids out of public school,  Look at some of the horrible things going on in today's schools and you will see why! I can tell you firsthand that the public school system still does not support parents who choose to remove their children from their schools.  I have seen this in our situation on more that one occasion.  They seem to think that they are better equipped to teach my children than I am and I will tell you, that is a huge misconception on the school's part.  As a mother who has been home with her children since the day they were born, nobody knows them or their way of thinking better than me!  And then there are your friends and family who think you are crazy or that you are making a big mistake!  I had family members tell me I was being lazy, that I was making a poor decision, and even so far as that they wanted to call the school board and report me because my kids deserved an education!  Well, Yes, I cannot agree with that enough, but what I disagree with is how they are to be educated.  In my first post I discussed the straw that broke the camel's back for our family but it is happening all over the world.  I can say two words to help you understand one main reason my childen are at home today - Sandy Hook!  When your children are terrified of school or have to walk beside an armed officer to get into the building, this leads the children to feel unsafe and therefore prohibits them from learning to the best of their ability anyway!  My kids belong with and to me and I am teaching them to the best of my ability with the help of our wonderful umbrella school.  I believe in this process and I look forward to continuing this for years to come. 

I truly hope that this blog sheds light and opens more minds to the possibility that if I can do it, anyone can do it.  I am here to help and to answer questions for anyone who is thinking about homeschooling and what is best for their family.  I believe this is right and nobody so far has been able to persuade me otherwise.  Thank you so much for coming here and reading my blog and helping me to make my homeschooling dreams come true!  

Homeschooling 101 (1st Year)

Below is a list of some of the sites that I have used or are currently using to further help my homeschool experience.  I am 100% on my own with the curriculum and I prefer it that way for now.  In the future, I may choose to do a program, but that just isn't in my budget right now.  So, for those of you who homeschool or want to, here are some great sites that will help you for free!

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/

http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/

http://busyteacher.org/

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/
http://www.schoolexpress.com/
http://www.abcteach.com/

http://pinterest.com/kiboomu/teacher-worksheets/

http://www.softschools.com/

Homeschool Schedule And Curriculum (1st Year)

I wanted to do a seperate post just on my schedule and the curriculum I have chosen.  I am new to the blogging process when it comes to education.  I have had a personal blog for years, but this is completely different.  I want to share my journey and help other people and I also want to be able to look back and see all the great things my children have done and learned.  This first post still will not be as detailed as I will do in the future.  I will try to highlight some of my favorite books and curriculum so that some of you can make the decision as to whether or not you will use it also.  I may choose to do a Friday post every week about a different book or just use a week to highlight different things I'm using and loving.

  I am hoping that this blog shows other moms that homeschool life is not as scary as it appears at first.  I feared every single thing about being a homeschooler and that my children's education rested solely on my shoulders, but now, for the first time, I feel so confident in the teacher that I am becoming and the choices that I am making and I know all of you out there following this blog, will feel the same way, just give it time.

This is all of the stuff that I have purchased within the last week.  I am trying to do homeschooling on a budget but I am finding that to be a struggle.  I never realized how much stuff teachers have to have just to keep everything going.  I have found some great deals at Books A Million but for the most part I am trying to either swap for free or buy used.  Hopefully I can get a group of moms local that I can try to trade off items so that we stay under budget.  I am also doing some babysitting on the side on some days to try to counter the money that is being spent because we have to stick to a budget.

I went to a local book store called Mr.K's Books in downtown Oak Ridge and I got a great deal on some older books.  I have been reading the book below when I have some down time.  It has given me some good ideas, but I am learning that I just have to do what's best for us and not what everyone else does for them. 

For good behavior, I have chosen to do Incentive charts and "Free" Days.  Once they have filled up one chart with stickers, they get a prize from a prize box.  I have gotten toys mainly from the Dollar Tree and most of them are educational such as puzzles or coloring books.  I also added crayons, markers, and pencils because the kids seem to really enjoy getting new supplies also. Once they have both incentive charts filled with stickers (see below), they can turn it in for a "free" day of no work.  The ways that they receive stickers are -  Random Acts of Kindness, being good a full school day, completing homework and turning it in on time, making an A on a paper, or exhibiting good behavior while outside of the home.

 For bad behavior, we chose time out, sentence writing, paper erasing, and losing free time.  Time out normally last 7 minutes per child in a corner during the time that we are doing something fun such as art or recess.  Sentence writing seems to be the thing they dislike the most.  I normally have the sentence either contain spelling words or something from the bible.  Paper erasing is an idea I got from a local FB page.  You find papers that you would like to reuse that have pencil writing and you make the child sit and erase all the writing.  Normally I do five pages per time, but since I just started, I don't have much to be able to use this as often.  In the future, I hope to have something better than all of this because the children are really outgrowing time out. 

And now to our schedule:

Monday:  9am to 2pm

Tuesday:  9am to 2pm

Wednesday:  9am to 3pm

Thursday:  Noon to 4pm

Friday:  9am to 5pm (outside of home)

Curriculum:

Monday:  Science, Critical Thinking, and Lapbooks

Tuesday: English, Handwriting, and Reading

Wednesday: Math, Spelling, and Review

Thursday: History, SS, PE, and Health

Friday: Field Trips, Library, and Make Up Work

First Week Of Homeschooling in 2013

Our first week went very, very well.  The kids were quiet and followed the rules pretty well.  Due to the local schools being closed for weather, we still didn't get a chance to tell our friends good-bye or let the school know we wouldn't be coming back.  I have emailed both teachers and made things clear, but we still must do the formal paperwork to make things legal.  This is all going on while we are packing and attempting to move into our new home... let's just say hectic but blessed and move on!

We found some "locker blocks" at Walmart on clearance for $4 and I felt it would be the easiest and most organized way to keep their stuff together and make them be accountable for their own books.  I used name tags I got from the Dollar Tree and attached them to the top of the locker.  I also found some blankets on clearance for $2 and decided to allow the boys to buy one and put in their locker for days they are cold or maybe don't feel as well.  Both of my kids are blanket boys and need something to cuddle some days.  My school, my rules.  I will be bringing my blanket as well :)

I struggled to figure out how to incorporate our lunch time within our required hours because we are on a tight schedule.  I will post more about that in the next post.  I do five hours of homeschooling a day so that we do not have to do actual work on Friday's and can focus on our field trips or Library trips.  This may not work for some people and some days we will have to rearrange, but for now, that is what works for us.  The boys have decided they want to watch movies during lunch time and I think eating in the classroom and staying focused will be better than allowing them to go eat in the kitchen and then try to come back to class.  This way if I have a video for that day, they will still be working on something educational and if not, I have alot of videos that I want them to watch about bullies, religion, sports, etc..

I found a tornado maker at Rite Aid on clearance for $3 and it even came with a Storm Chasers video so we chose to work on that this week.  The maker is so awesome!  It has real sounds and you can turn it to different sizes and it looks so real.  You can even

Our first week turned out to be so much fun!  I loved the light I saw in my children's eyes as they began to realize that the world is their classroom and we don't have to put limits on what we can learn about!  I look forward to doing this for many many more days to come! :)