Why We Homeschool

Every family has their reasons as to what led them to homeschool, and honestly for us it wasn't just one reason and it wasn't what you probably think it was. Now, 15 years into homeschooling our reasons continue to grow and evolve. Even when we have really bad days or seasons of difficult homeschooling days our reasons WHY always supersede those challenges.

While we do not homeschool to 'school at home', we are continuously educating our children. It is a precious gift from the Lord, and we do not take it for granted. Homeschooling has always been apart of our lives and at this point I can't imagine what our lives will be like when our last child graduates. Thankfully, even if we don't have any more children, we're still looking at another 18 years of homeschooling, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

I will never profess to know it all when it comes to parenting, much less homeschooling. I do know without a shadow of a doubt that homeschooling is exactly how WE are supposed to educate our children. Yes, we have struggles along the way, and even days when I don't want to do it anymore, but the Lord always carries me through those 'dry' seasons. Holding on to the following reasons as to why we homeschool, always keeps me grounded and determined to finish the race God has set before me.

1. We don't want our children attending an establishment where God is not permitted
2. We believe the scriptures say that parents should train and teach their own children
3. We believe the scriptures say we should not be 'unevenly yoked' with non believers
4. We don't want our children taught false teachings such as in regards to science, history, and our government 
5. We don't want our children taught sex education without our consent
6. We don't vaccinate
7. Having our children at home allows for more flexibility in our schedule
8. Public and private school are both extremely expensive
9. We have several children with learning challenges and if they were in a traditional school environment we fear they would be forced to be on medication or neglected in their academic lessons
10. We also have one child with a depressed immune system and being in close proximity with other children who may be sick is not ideal
11. We don't want our children forced to learn things at someone else's pace just because they think it's whats supposed to done
12. We don't want our children in a bullying environment where there is little to no adult intervention

To be honest I could on and on about why we homeschool, because the reasons just keep growing as our world continues to spiral out of control with little to no morals or values.

Every parent has their reasons why they make certain choices regarding their children, especially as to where they will be educated. While I'm extremely passionate about homeschooling, I understand that each parent has to do what they feel is best. Our family's reasons to homeschool are unique to our family and may or may not resonate with other families. Thankfully God has given each family their own special journey to travel, there is no wrong our right way. For us it just so happens that homeschooling is the best choice for how we educate our children. 

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

February at the Zoo

We were blessed with a family pass to the Birmingham Zoo from an extended family member this past Christmas. It was really an awesome gift for us because honestly, I'm just too cheap to pay for what it costs for our family to go to the zoo. When weighing out whether or not to purchase a family pass to the zoo, I always envision the dozen of activities I could plan and do with my children for the same price. It doesn't help that the zoo is a solid hour away. That's with no pitstops along the way (and lets face it there's always one who has to go to the bathroom in that *one* hour). 

Due to the size of our family, it's far more economical to purchase a yearly pass than to buy individual tickets. Which is why we were so grateful for the zoo pass. Plus half my kiddos had never even been to the zoo, so trust me when I say they were stoked to receive such a great gift!

Since the pass is good for 12 months, we are hoping to visit the zoo 12 times. Ideally this would be once a month, but that just isn't practical due to inclement weather. We missed visiting during the month of January, mostly because of the weather but also because Abby Lou was just a few weeks old. Since the weather cooperated twice in February we were able to go to the zoo twice. 

The first visit was just me and our nine youngest. (Our oldest lives on his own and is of course working full-time, since he is an adult, lol ~ but I still miss him, especially when we go on family adventures). The first trip to the zoo was an adventure to say the least. My three year old screamed the entire time, my five year old puked all over himself and the van on our way there, and then proceeded to NOT behave very well at all. UGH!! Thankfully, my children remember it as a fabulous time, but for this mama, fun would not be the word I'd use to describe that little zoo excursion.

Our family was able to work in another trip to the zoo with Daddy on Presidents Day. The weather was a little to cool for my comfort zone, but it was perfect for everyone else. We had a fabulous time, and everyone was extremely well behaved. We ended up staying for three hours and then we concluded the trip with a picnic outside the zoo premises. 

It was wonderful to be able to experience the zoo twice in one month. We were able to see different animals each time. We are all looking forward to watching and experiencing the zoo transform throughout the seasons. Hopefully, since March is upon us, it won't be long before we can plan another trip to the zoo.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Homeschool Table Time

 We kick off each homeschool day with our table time lessons. Our homeschool table time is my absolute favorite part of homeschooling. Table time in the homeschool world has many different names: morning time, morning basket, tea time, morning menus, etc. whatever you choose to call your 'group' homeschool time is personal to each family ~ but we choose to call it 'table time' since that's where we have it. 

 I prefer to do our table time lessons first thing in the morning because that is when our family is at it's 'best'. We are all in best form, present in mind, not distracted, basically 'fresh' for a new day. Since table time is the core of our homeschooling, it only makes sense to do it when we are all at our best. Also, since I practice intermittent fasting, and don't break my fast until 10am, it is perfect for me to begin our read aloud while everyone else is eating their breakfast.

The above picture is a glimpse at part of my homeschool planner. I have scheduled each week of our table time (the top section of the page). These pages tell me what hymn, bible verse, interactive notebook, storybooks, projects, and quiet time boxes to do for each week. Our bible, nature, and nonfiction books are just read as we see fit for each day. This is the first year I have used these personalized weekly planning sheets, and they have been AMAZING!! As this year has progressed it has been easy for me to add, subtract, and make adjustments. We have accomplished more than we ever have and I owe it all to this detailed homeschool planner I created just for our family.

Our table time routine looks like this: I first read aloud from a bible story book (I own several that we have read through over the years). We read from a nature book; sometimes it's a fiction book while other times it's nonfiction. Then we read from a nonfiction book. I really enjoy picking a series so we can follow characters throughout multiple books and storylines. We practice reciting our weekly bible memory verse, then we sing our weekly hymn or praise song. I read our scheduled story books for the day. (I plan these books out before the school year begins). We also do our interactive history and science notebooks and the coordinating read alouds. Table time is also when we do our projects, whether it be crafts or experiments. To wrap up our table time we pray.

To keep the littles occupied and as quiet as possible during table time, I have designated educational activities for them to do. I have been intentional to budget for these educational toys throughout the years, and we have acquired quite a few. 

I've tried to box up the toys into coordinating totes, which are only brought out during supervised play time ~ mostly just table time. Some of these toys were not cheap, and losing pieces typically renders the toys useless, hence the fact that they are put up and only brought out during table time.

 Most of the toys were purchased through Amazon or Learning Resources. My favorite time to purchase educational toys is on Black Friday/Cyper Monday and Prime Day. I can usually find great deals allowing my budget to stretch even further.

The educational toys I purchase have to be quiet toys which means they don't make noises (obviously if they required batteries and made noises that would defeat the purpose of quiet time toys, lol). And yes, even my little bitty ones are required to sit at the table for table time. It's a good lesson for church or other times when they will be expected to sit still and be quiet. The homeschool lessons are not always book lessons, but lessons in behavior and character; from mama all the way down to the baby. 

Does our table time always go off without a hitch? Hardly!! No day is ever void of an opportunity for mama to child train. I've learned that planning and scheduling helps keep those hiccups down to a minimum. My children tend to do best when they know what is expected of them and there's a consistent routine. Every family has to find their own homeschooling groove. It's highly unlikely any homeschool family will look like the next, but we do have a common thread and that is to give our children the best platform for learning; and for us this is what is at the core of our homeschool day and works best for our family.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Homeschool Routine

If there is one thing I've learned in the nearly 16 years I've been homeschooling, it's having a set homeschool routine is critical. Without a 'set in place' routine for my children and myself, we wouldn't get done half of what we get done. Our homeschool routine changes every year, and even more so when we add and graduate children. 

I keep our homeschool routine posted on the fridge for all the children to see which helps to keep the squabbling to a minimum. No one can argue whose turn it is to do what. If my older children are not scheduled to be doing something then they have free time (within reason) but they must remain in the house in the event I need them for something. 

The above routine is my personal homeschool routine. We first start the day with table time (which I will be going into more detail about in my next post). Table time includes all members of the family who are under the age of 18 and still officially in 'school'. Next I do tot school group lessons. These lessons are currently done with my five children under the age of seven. Then I have one-on-one time with each of my children to go over their individual lessons.

I do one-on-one time with each child in a separate room, with the intentions that we will be undisturbed, but with a house full of children this does not always happen. Some of my children require more of my undivided attention than others when it comes to lessons. I evaluate this yearly and make adjustments to the schedule accordingly. 

I have gone to great lengths to teach my children to 'own' their education. For the most part, my older children do their lessons independently, and their one-on-one time is mostly for accountability and for me to review their work. While I consider us to be relaxed homeschoolers, and maybe even unschoolers compared to some; I do require my children to partake in some form of academic lessons daily.

This second chart is mostly for how I strive to keep my younger children occupied during my one-on-one time. I would love to say my younger group of children were well behaved during our lessons; but honestly, if they're not scheduled to be doing something constructive WITH a supervisor they will most likely get into trouble. {{sigh}} Which is why I have devised the above routine. 

My big kids do not need this chart/routine. They are very well behaved and have learned how to use their time wisely, my younger crew not so much. This chart helps all of us stay focused and make sure everyone is doing their part to make the day run as smoothly as possible. After table time and tot school, my oldest son sits in the living room while the littles as they watch a scheduled educational movie. Next, they go to the girl's room to play puzzles, educational games, and play in the weekly sensory box with my oldest daughter. Then they rotate to play in another room where our blocks and play kitchen are located. Last they play outside on our back porch where we have riding toys and for the warmer months we have a water play station set up.

I have times posted for this routine, but they are really just for a guide. We begin the day when we are able  and then proceed in order of what the schedule indicates. Each of the big children are required to watch/play with the younger kids for 45 minutes ~ and YES I set a timer, because if I don't, there will be arguing about who did what for how long. {{insert eye roll}} Real life here y'all ~ I refuse to sugar coat the way things are, that doesn't do any good for anyone.

Our homeschool routine is a suggested guide. We do not live our days in bondage to it. We make adjustments as we need to each day. But, it's great to have a plan, a goal to pursue each day. I've been doing some variation of this routine for many years. When I had just littles we would do 'blanket time' where the children not doing lessons had to sit on the blanket and play quietly with a designated toy. But as my children have gotten older I'm able to adapt the routine to fit our ever changing needs. 

I'd also like to add that I've always 'scheduled' play times for my children. It's real easy in large families for certain children to group together, alienating other siblings. Some children like to play with just the babies, while others don't like having anything to do with the babies; or children born close together had rather play with just themselves. I think it's important to be intentional to cultivate sibling relationships across the board. By scheduling my children to have playtime with all their siblings, it insures they're building relationships with each of their siblings and not just one or two. 

This is our current 2019/2020 homeschool routine. In August I will reevaluate and make adjustments as needed. For the most part it will probably stay the same in for the next school year since we will not have any children graduating and I don't officially add children to lessons until they are two. While it can take some time figuring out a viable homeschool routine, it has been well worth it for our family for many reasons. But, I especially love our homeschool schedule because it allows me to spend adequate time with all my children, making sure they are getting the academic help they need. 

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Back to School Weenie Roast & Campout

Due to life being super busy lately, I'm just now getting to the final post for our Friday the 13th family fun day. By now most of y'all have probably caught on that I love traditions. Well, one of my many crazy traditions that I implemented many moons ago has been our Back to School, Backyard Weenie Roast and Campout. 

Once we complete our first month of school we have a weenie roast and campout to celebrate all our hard work. As my fellow homeschool mama's know getting back into the swing of homeschooling and knocking out those first few weeks can be a major challenge ~ which is why I feel a celebration is  a must.

I grew up camping ~ in a tent! Sorry y'all I just don't believe it's camping if you're in a travel trailer or motor home. To me, true camping is in a tent. Tents have come a long way over the years and this one we have from CORE is amazing!! Once you get it staked, it's four poles and you're done other than attaching the rain fly. 

Everyone loves helping set up the tent, even the little bitty ones. 

Here's another one of those pictures I've taken for years and years and years. Ugh to watch my babies grow up (and our family grow) brings a mixed of wild emotions!

These two little rascals were the most excited, but they ended up going to bed inside after the weenie roast and roasting s'mores. Since my husband had to work the next day; he slept inside and we opted for the three little ones to sleep inside as well so that the big kids could have some 'big-kid' fun.

It was a very long day with the apple orchard, the covered bridge, and finally the weenie roast and campout, but my oldest daughter was a little energizer bunny helping set up all the food for our homeschool celebration. 

This year I opted to create a serving tray for the s'mores. This worked perfect for quick and easy assembly!

I love this picture!! My father-in-law has this cute little truck for piddling around the property. The kids used it to fill up with sticks for the bonfire. 

Yes, at one point our little bonfire turned into a massive flame, lol. No worries we were all safe and all weenies were salvaged.

Not all my kids love s'mores, but in my opinion no weenie roast is complete without the presence of s'mores! 

I mean what's not to love?? Char broiled gooey marshmallows, melted chocolate and crunchy graham crackers. Yeah I'm a sucker for nostalgia!

Okay y'all here's the nitty gritty of the conclusion of our Friday the 13th family fun adventures: it was ALL drama. and a story for the books! After our weenie roast and s'mores the kids played some after-dark tag while the older folks started cleaning up. Then we put the little bitty ones to bed and the big kids and I headed into the tent to enjoy our sleep outdoors in the backyard. 

Due to it being soooo hot I opted not to put the rain fly on the tent (BIG mistake ~ insert groan). I had checked multiple weather apps as well as t.v stations and radio stations for the overnight forecast and there was ZERO chance of rain!!!!!! When 11:45 pm rolled around, I was awakened to it feeling like someone was spitting in my ear. {{ugh}} Y'all I was literally about to get on to a child for pulling pranks and NOT sleeping. But, nope it was rain!! Insert massive eye roll!

Once I got my bearings, I frantically woke the kiddos up and told them to grab all the sleeping bags and pillows and to RUN! So our little backyard campout was cut half short due to an unexpected torrential downpour complete with straight-line winds. We all slept indoors that night and when we awoke the next morning our tent had about an inch of rain inside of it. {{sigh}} Thankfully, it was another scorcher of a day and the tent quickly dried out once we draped it over the swing set. 

And there y'all have it, another drama-filled fun day in the life of the Williams family. I really do try, and at this point all I can do is laugh about it. Oh, the stories my kids will have to tell their children one day, lol! Even though my grand plans rarely turn out the way I had envisioned, I'm still going to keep on keeping on, pushing through, making the plans and attempting to make special memories with my family.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer