A life extraordinary

See the kitty? Can you say kitty? What color is that kitty? What does the kitty say?
I remember how I was constantly teaching and talking to my kids when they were little. Everything was a teachable moment. I always explained things to them and read to them every night. We'd color and sing and go for walks and explore. But when they started to school that changed. I wasn't the teacher anymore. I became the homework tutor, the lunch maker, the paper organizer, the agenda signer, the school bus greeter, the alarm clock, the project supply getter, the room mom, the field trip chaperone. Thankfully, I turned my teaching job over to some really great teachers. I can honestly say I have never had one complaint with any of them. We would always pray before school started that they would get the teacher that would suit them best, and we were always happy with who God chose. Our public schools are really good from what I can tell. The girls have always done well, never complained about going, and never once got suspended. :) Even the bus ride home has been okay. All has gone well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right. RIGHT???????

Allison is the pleaser. She works really hard for her grades and does well. She has always been the teachers pet. Sometimes I would cringe when she'd say she"d had to walk a student to the office that day because they threw up and had to go home.She has had one or two close friends she enjoys being with at school. She loves to read and begs to go to the library so she can always have a book to read before bed.

Zoey on the other hand is little miss social. She loves to go to school to see her friends. She doesn't work very hard and hates homework. She just glances at her spelling words and makes 100. Just when you think she's not listening, she can repeat back facts I have easily forgotten. Easy peasy. Reading response journals are zipped through and her choice of book is whatever is easy and quick. Go Dog, Go. Really Zoey? Really?

Well, I tried to imagine telling Pete about what God had laid on my heart. He was probably going to shrug it off like so many of the other crazy ideas I've come up with over the years. I pictured what would happen if I told the girls I was considering homeschooling. What would my family say? What would my friends say? Most importantly, what did the Bible say? You would know there are 45,122 verses that have to do with teaching children. Not exactly, but plenty.

To be honest, I mean completely honest, I don't want to make the sacrifice. I like my "me" time. I like going to the grocery store alone. I like browsing in Belk after I get my nails done before I pick up the Little Man at school. Sometimes I can even come home and lie down awhile or just take the morning off when I'm sick. I like having lunch with Pat after Bible study. Right now I am free from nine to noon everyday to do whatever I I I I I I want!! I'm the mom that jumps up and down when school goes back from the summer remember? My nerves are usually so shot from the fussing and fighting and activity around here when Monday comes it's a relief. So if I homeschool, there will basically be no more "me time."

Reasons why I don't want to homeschool-
I will have to take them everywhere with me-grocery, doctor, Hobby Lobby, gym
No more Tuesday morning Bible study
 No more fake nails
They will be home all day making messes all over the house
 I will have to make lunch and clean up the kitchen after lunch and lunch will be here at home and not out with a friend
 I might be expected to wear my hair in a bun and churn my own butter and sew all our clothes

These are some really good reasons, aren't they?????? Aren't they?

So this is what I got-- Totally random, God spoke to my heart. The Bible said it was a good idea. Can't shake it. Everywhere I look, see weird homeschool people. Accidentally sat across from the sweetest, most polite young homeschooled girl who was the best conversationalist EVER. Books I'm reading talk about homeschooling-Bringing Up Boys, etc. "Seek ye first" verse shows up everywhere-sermons on raido, preacher's sermons, sermon on cruise, Sunday School lessons. Billboards. Not really billboards, but it WAS getting ridiculous. Confided in my friend Autumn and asked her to pray for me. Finally, I surrendered. "Yes, Lord. I will do this. I accept that this is your will for my family. I know I can do this with your help." Then an unbelievable sense of peace and joy overcame me. But I still had so many questions and challenges to evercome.

So what about Pete? I got up the nerve to tell him what had been on my mind and heart and he thought it was a great idea. Check.
What about Allison? She comes home from school one day and has a break down about how difficult school is and how she is so stressed out and that she is so tired of trying to please so many teachers and cries on my shoulder. God was changing her heart. She was so relieved when I told her the plan. Check.
How will I ever figure out how to do this? I find out a huge homeschool convention is coming to Greenville. Check.
What about socialization? Autumn tells me there is a once a week homeschool class called Classical Conversations offered nearby. Check.
I'm not like other homeschool moms. I went to the homeschool convention and it was so amazing and there were sooooo many moms there without buns OR homemade clothes. Check.
What about my social butterfly Zoey? I tell her about the plan to homeschool and she jumps up and down with excitement. Check.
What will the family think? Right away my mom thinks its a great idea and reminds me of how many of her friends grandchildren are homeschooled. Pete's folks thought it was an admirable desire. Check.
What about Anders? He gets in on all excitement, asks what being homeschooled means and then declares he was NOT going to be homeschooled.

So that pretty much has you up to speed with my life. All of this just because of a laundry room prayer. It's a life extraordinary.