Homeschool Open House

Tiany over at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany/ has a great thing going on, its called Homeschool Open House 2007, just in time for the new school year. I love her blog and read it often. Since I am one of those mothers with grown children I thought I would share our experience.
If you would like to join “Homeschool Open House 2007”, here are the guidelines:
To participate simply write a post (as elaborate or simple as you want, pics or no pics its up to you) about any of the following, …
A short intro about you, how many blessings? How long have you been Homeschooling etc.. Just incase this is someone’s first visit to your blog.
Your Homeschool Day, what does it look like?
What curriculum will you be using? Do you not use a curriculum? Do you homeschool for FREE? Tell us about it!
Do you schedule your day to the minute or go with the flow with no real structure?
Do you homeschool in a homeschool room, at the kitchen table, at a desk, in the park on the grass?
Do you have any “must share” tips?
Do you have a question or concern? Throw that in there too!

**** If you are a mother who has homeschooled her children and your children are now grown and have left the nest we would love for you to participate and share some words of wisdom.
Write a post on your blog, copy the post link (not your homepage URL), and add your individual post link to Mr. Linky. It will be the easiest way for us to hop around and visit each other!
If you do not have a blog and would like to participate send me an email
tiany@cox.net
You must spread the word! Please put a link back to the Open House on your post so that others can participate and visit other participants. You can use the Open House Graphic in your post or blog if you like. Simply right click and save the photo to your computer. Then upload the graphic to your blog through your blog provider or through a photo host such as photobucket.com.
What a fun thing ! We raised 4 children, two adopted and two birth. Our girls were homeschooled from the beginning, both of them had their first day of "real" school on their first day of College. Way back in 1980, the year Melissa was born, we began reading John Holt's books on homeschooling. Such insight and such a love of learning he shared with his readers. He was interviewed for Mother Earth news in the summer of 1980, just about the time Melissa was born. I was hooked. We were in on the very beginnings of the homeschool movement. Learning and preparing for when Melissa would be old enough to start school. Things were not easy in the early days, we were among the pioneers, learning right along with our children, how to make this all work. I subscribed to Growing Without Schooling and soaked up each and every word of each issue. We heard daily from family that we were single handedly destroying our children by homeschooling. Social misfits would be the result. We never went any place without hearing the word, socialization ! We felt so led in doing what we were doing, that we knew some day we could just say, "well folks, the proof is in the pudding" and it has been. One family member who was so against homeschooling, later homeschooled their child.
I learned to answer the question of "where do your children go to school?" by saying, "they have a private tutor". That stopped folks in their tracks, not sure if we were wealthy or what. And it was the truth. We had a small homeschool support group in California in the 1980's that was a great place to be encouraged. By the middle 1990's there were more and more families homeschooling and we just did not feel so all alone. Homeschool fairs came on the scene and what a blessing they were for choosing the books for the new school year. We spent mornings doing school work and afternoons were time for farm life and exploring. We always spent most of the summer doing some sort of writing and art work. Music lessons were an on-going thing for us.
Somewhere along the way, our focus changed from being just about learning at home, to adding in the serious responsibility of raising Christian children. When Melanie began school at home, we started using Rod and Staff curriculum and our whole lives changed. We began to see a life style that included all aspects of life. Not much longer we began attending a Mennonite fellowship.
Our kitchen looked more like a school room than a kitchen. A huge blackboard hung over the table, charts and posters lined the wall. Our house was a place of learning, and with great enthusiasm. There was such a freedom in learning but when the children reached middle school age, we opted for a classical approach to learning and the curriculum included logic, Latin, a choice of a foreign language and the like, preparing them for college. It paid off, both girls went to college and did exceptionally well. One of the boys we adopted went back to his bio parents and the other is Steven who has a wonderful high paying job. He learned well from his dad, the value of hard work. Steven is 22 years old and owns his own house, and a rather fancy car !
All three of our children are happily married, and doing very well. They are successful and have never once gotten into any trouble. All three count their homeschooling as a very positive thing. We homeschooled for a total of 17 years, non stop. Not one minute do we regret this choice. It was such a joy to have the children home all day long.
Pictures from the good old homeschooling days, my how they passed so quickly !

Comments

Betsy said…
You have a lovely family. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Jenn said…
Thank you for joining the Open House. What a blessed homeschooling adventure and LIFE. That is what is so attractive to me about homeschooling, it feels natural, it is life! This going off to school business and only being with your children a couple of hours per day is so un-natural feeling to me and I deeply regret ever sending mine there.

I have always dreamed of living the farm life someday and I so enjoy your pictures. The pics of your home in the sidebar are really comforting and cozy and thank you so much for sharing!

Jenn
Patty said…
Thanks Betsy and Jenn
Jenn said…
Master Herbalist! Wow, I bet I could ask you a zillion questions. I was introduced to Richard Schulze's programs through my mom and I've been interested in nutrition/cleansing/herbs and healing ever since!! For 2 years now.

In May of this year I was diagnosed with MS after two sudden and clear "attacks" documented by MRI. I had all kinds of tests to rule out everything under the sun. I am on therapy, but I don't want to be on it long. I am afraid it could change my immune system over time, have to love the fine print!!

My goal is to build my body up so well nutritionally and with cleansing and herbal help, along with my exercise and body overhaul. as well as spiritually and mentally that my body has no choice but to regain health and balance; afterall we are fearfully and wonderfullly made! My goal is MS no longer being an issue or "active" and speaking to my neurologist about discontinuing meds within one year to see how it goes.

Wow you did not ask for all this info....LOL, but I got excited when you mentioned your relationship with herbs!

JEnn
Patty said…
Jenn, Sounds like you are doing all the right things. There is a new herbal formula out that stimulates adult stem cells. Might want to ask your local health food store about it. My daughter that is type 1 diabetic since age 7 is about to start taking them. I have seen some amazing results with them, so might be worth a try. They are all plant materials, nothing wonky in them. Not cheap $50 a months supply.
Andrea Maddiex said…
Hi!
Thank You for stopping by my blog! Your kidding, you lived here? I know where Merlin is. How long ago was that? We have been here about 6 years now. You now live in my home state- I originally came from Texas. 20 years ago (that is how long my hubby and I have been married). I still have family there. I really enjoy the Rod & Staff curriculum. I am adding elements from the Charlotte Mason books, but overall I plan to continue with the Rod & Staff as our main course. I am so glad you came by and I hope you will visit again. :)
Jenn said…
Oh wow, neat. I haven't heard of anything like that yet. I will have to look around and learn about how they work! I still love to learn, and I so hope I can teach that to my children!!



Jenn
Patty said…
Hi Andrea, We actually lived in Hugo but no one knows where that is, its near Merlin, we had a grants pass address though. We have now lived in Texas for 15 years soon to be 16 ! I miss the mountains some and wonder if the store Never A Bum Steer is still there, loved that place. Always smelled so good.
Patty said…
Jenn, if I can ever help with any questions you have feel free to ask me. my email is pasuhi@msn.com
My children are now married and they all carry with them a love of herbal medicine, because of all those early years teaching them and showing them different herbs and how they work
Andrea Maddiex said…
Hello Patty!
I do know where Hugo is! Actually, my husband's sister lived in Hugo when we came here. My daughter just recently had her CATs done at a small church there too.
This is too funny, just yesterday I was reading the local paper and they were doing their annual 'Favorites' and Never a Bum Steer was listed as Gift Shop with the Most Unique Gifts!
My husband's sister was what brought us here, but some years ago she moved away so we don't get to see her now. So, it looks like we are going to Arkansas where the rest of my husband's family is. He misses his mom and the kids miss their grandma. There is nothing keeping us here now, and we feel the Lord is directing us in that direction. I've never been there so I know nothing about Arkansas.
Patty said…
Andrea,
we could see that little white church across the tracks and down the road a bit from our house. Pretty close to the Hitchin Post store that was there
Martha said…
Thanks for sharing. It is nice to read from those who are done and have wonderful relationships and memories with their children.

Thanks again for sharing,
Jane
Melissa Markham said…
You have a lovely family! I love hearing stories about families that have homeschooled all the way through! Congrats on your upcoming anniveresary! 29 years! That's something to be proud of!

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