D is for Daddy reads a story

Ever since my oldest, who is now 17, was a little bitty baby, I would read to her and all the kids that followed. I have a slight obsession with books and tend to buy them before other necessities and when we started homeschooling, I wanted to find a way to include dad in the scenario. I decided it would be great for him to do a "reading time" every evening. Hubby came from a non-reading family so this was new to him, but he gave it a go. For years he has read, almost every night, to the kids. He has read Little House (the whole series), Winnie the Pooh, 21 Balloons, and the list goes on. It has been heavenly for the, now older kids, to have memories and reminisce about all of the stories dad has read. It has been a great, yet very simple way to incorporate dad into the homeschool experience. Coming from the single, working mother home that I did, it always brings tears to my eyes and a reassurance when other stresses press in, that my kids at least have a daddy that takes the time to read to them. It's a bonding that can't be replaced and has helped instill a love of reading in ALL of my kids. I just can't recommend it enough.

And if this is a new idea to you, and you need some jump starting, here are a few awesome read aloud ideas to get you started:

The Francis collection by Russell Hoban These make all of us giggle every single time!

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne  "A very long time ago, about last Friday" -one of the best written lines ever!

Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois  This is one of my all time favorite books!



Hank the Cowboy has always been a favorite as well. Especially on Summer nights outside or while camping!

And if you think your kids are too old to read to them, give it a try. You would be surprised how interested they get with a bucket of popcorn and the right book!

Cat Tales

So after taking a gamble on the ever changing weather, we ventured out on a field trip to meet a few other homeschoolers. It was quite cold, but didn't rain, so it was manageable.

Our family had never been to Cat Tales but we always had it on our "to do" list. We had an excellent guide who told us about each cat and it was fun (and sad at times) to hear all of the different stories about the resident cats and how they all came to end up there.



The bear cats were particularly interesting......


 
 
 
 
Beautiful creatures to see but I wish they could be in their own habitat.
 
 

                                          
 



 

And it looks like someone didn't listen to the "Don't run, you look like food" rule!

                                                                          


Because it was so cold, we weren't able to eat our lunches together like we had planned so that was a disappointment. All in all though, I consider it a successful outing.

Counting the positives:
1. Short but educational.
2. Went out of my comfort zone to meet new people.
3. Crossing something off one of my many "to do" lists always brings me joy.

Hopefully we can do something again and maybe wrangle up a few more gals to join in.

C is for Community

                                                                              
Over the years I have drifted in and out of different homeschool friendships, groups, and communities. There have also been times of going it alone. What's so amazingly sad to admit is that even after  many years of homeschooling experience, I would still find it difficult to feel comfortable in a group of homeschoolers. I actually found it easier to be the lone homeschool family. I was always prepared to meet and deal with all of the responses that came with being "the only one". I was familiar with and felt most comfortable with that scenario. What I wasn't so comfortable with is to be with several other homeschool families that all inevitably started comparing themselves with each other. Instead of feeling like it was a safe, friendly environment, I had come to expect a judgemental atmosphere that bread jealousy or contempt depending on who was feeling threatened. I don't mean to sound harsh, but homeschooling families (especially in the christian community) can sometimes act like middle school cliques. I say this because I used to act that way myself. It's horrible to say but unfortunately true. So when I speak about this, I know what I am saying, trust me. I think it is truly sad when we cannot come together as a community of homeschooling families and give each other support no matter our differences. Now I know this isn't always the case but for some of us, it has been a long, somewhat lonely journey. Count yourself extremely blessed and be very grateful if you have a good support group. If you happen to be a part of a group with cliquish tendencies, become a vehicle for change because it desperately needs to happen. And if you're a loner, be open minded about finding community. You may be surprised to find great support in unexpected places. Think outside your box and look into groups that may not use the same curriculum as you but could possibly offer encouragement none the less. Let's all become the support we would like to receive without having to convince someone else our way is the only way.