At least, I hope it is 😋
Technically, we haven't started our back-to-school routine so my son is savoring some extra snooze-fest moments. I would be too, but I've got more on my plate today than is decent.
I was hoping that I could spend these last days of leisure, "in leisure."
Not a chance.
For one thing, Princess the Cat is out of her early morning "yummies." And, my friends, this cannot stand. She is a Siamese and has been hollering since about 6 am.
The struggle is real.
What we do for our people.
Today I want to talk to you about taking chances. You've heard it said about the princess who had to kiss a lot of frogs to find her prince. I don't recommend that particular strategy for any princess. I personally only really kissed one prince and that has worked out just fine.
But in homeschooling, you might have to try a few things to get it right. There are some things methods and ways of doing things that may not work for you and yours.
Basically you gotta hustle. I've said this before. There are no hard and fast rules in homeschooling. Some of you are feeling like you can't give your kiddos the best education because you can't afford the "best" homeschool. There is no such thing.
Homeschooling is a scrappy business. It's filled with tears, glue sticks, composition notebooks, sketchbooks, moldy sandwiches, dirty minivans, and dog-eared copies of Across Five Aprils.
A few years into my homeschool journey, I put Josiah in a homeschool interaction program at our local YMCA. It was great for Josiah, but it was my first contact with a large group of homeschool moms. Most of the homeschool mommas were perfectly lovely.
And then there were those who weren't. But this post is not about that.
We would visit about what we were doing with our kids and one group of moms were "talking" with me about another mom. In hushed tones, they told me that she didn't even use curriculum.
I didn't even open my mouth. By that time, I was piecing Josiah's schoolwork together from resources from the library, lapbooks and materials I was reviewing for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
And doing it all, happily. My homeschool curriculum budget was nearly non-existent. When your husband is a pastor taking a sabbatical because you are in heart failure and his sabbatical job doesn't pay very well you do what you can.
We also had a used homeschool bookstore in our town. Around August they would have a 40% off sale. So basically, between what I had reviewed for The Crew, free resources from online and library books and my treasures found at the bookstore...that was my homeschool curriculum.
What I had to do as a necessity, turned out to be the best for us. Josiah learns better by doing. We read, went on nature walks and played in the parks. We experimented with different pancake recipes, made movies about history, our own board games, and paper mache globes and other creatures that cannot be named.
And being a reviewer for The Crew has allowed me to have access to some of the best stuff out there. Sure. There has been a commitment in time and energy. I have been a reviewer (I believe) since 2012. Since 2013, I have reviewed almost 50 products a year.
However, I will say this. I have been blessed to be part of The Crew. You can still do what you need to do without the resources I've had in that direction. Just dig a little deeper. I am amazed what is available nowadays!
Sometimes, momma, you have to hustle. You've got to do the research. You have to spend some time looking around. The shiny curriculum isn't going necessarily to be right or available.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted Josiah to read through a list of books. I compiled that list and slowly but surely I have been purchasing them from my Amazon wishlist. Just a few at a time. Sometimes I find them at the Thrift Store.
Josiah is not as impressed with me as I am with myself.
I am probably a genius.
My husband thinks I am on a mission to take over the world with my bookshelves.
He's probably right.
I guess my point (before I need to rush off to go purchase Princess the Cat some yummies) is that nothing is impossible (Philippians 4:13)
You can do it!
I'm joining my friends on The Crew this week for 5 Days of Homeschool Encouragement. Don't miss reading all their lovely posts!
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