I’ve been writing this post in my head for days (actually I’ve been trying to write a why we homeschool post for months). But whenever it comes out on my screen it sounds like I’m attacking regular school. I sound like one of those hard-core crazy* homeschoolers. I don’t know how to phrase the words in my heart and mind. But let me try. I thought I’d share some cute pictures before I got into the crazy.

Several weeks ago we got bathing suited up (huh? Suited up?? Anyone know what I’m talking about ) and went to a reservoir near by. Nathan was sporting his very first pair of bathing trunks.

We went swimming and had a very fun day.

Ok…not swimming. More like wading, sitting, and splashing in the water.

Afterwards we met my dad and his wife for dinner at Benihana. Isabelle was fascinated with the knife tricks. The show. Oh, whatever you call it. Even Nathan watched with interest (a few minutes only but, hey, pretty good for a baby). After dinner, as we stood around chatting before getting into our cars, my dad asked us about school and Isabelle.

I told him we were going to homeschool her. He didn’t think very much of that idea. Ok, to be accurate, he is very much against it. In a derogatory tone he was all like, “oh you’re doing THAT homeschooling thing? Like your sister?” Then he basically said I was going to ruin the kids and they’d end up having no choice but to work at McDonalds. Seriously.

I got my panties in a bunch and asked if he even knew what he was talking about. Did he do any research? I could recommend a book to him talking about socialization and how kids do go to college. But he was not interested. He didn’t even want to read about it.

It was, quite frankly, irritating his close-mindedness. I told him he didn’t know what he was talking about and that he was speaking out of ignorance. Then, today, my sister was too busy to work with us so I was Skyping her telling her a little about our day. My dad was sitting there with this dismissive look on his face. This, you’re doing wrong by your children so I don’t want to hear about it look on his face. So aggravating but I do understand where he’s coming from.

Most people know about school. Most people went to school. Homeschooling is unfamiliar to them. It’s different and a lot of people don’t understand and have negative opinions. Or misconceptions. Like, my friend Bridgette, who when I told her that a homeschool mom I knew was going to be a grandmother she responded, how did her daughter even meet a boy?! As if homeschoolers chain their children to tables in the basements.

Like I said, I can understand where people like my dad are coming from. What I cannot understand is why they feel a need to second guess our choice. I mean I don’t automatically assume weird things for people who send their kids to school. Or if I do I’m not going to throw it in your face. Or at least I’ll try really hard not to unless you’re all up in my face about my choice. I’m not going to send my kids to school just because that’s what most everyone else automatically does.

So, why did we choose to homeschool? That is a question I get quite frequently. Whenever I hear that question I want to say, why wouldn’t we want to homeschool? After reading about socialization and the learning benefits of homeschooling, I don’t see why anyone would want to do it any other way.

First of all, education wise, I prefer the homeschooling way. Even though we are using the Sonlight curriculum we have the freedom to pursue and go more in depth into anything Isabelle might be interested in. Schools cannot meet that same need. Homeschooling can be personalized for an individual. Schools are limiting in that they are for a multitude of people. It’s like clothes. Are you going to get a better fit with something you buy off the rack or something designed specifically for your body?

On the socialization front, I prefer the homeschool way as well. I fervently believe that homeschooling will allow my children to grow into who they really will be. I don’t know if that makes sense. But schools with their cliques and bullies, no thank you. As my kids get older, I want them to have the independence to grow into who they’ll be without being judged or influenced by other kids.

I want them to learn to behave properly from me. From Alan. Under supervision. And schools, they don’t do that either. There aren’t enough teachers.

I mean if we really truly think about it, kids socializing in school, that’s not natural. Kids hanging out with kids all their own age, that doesn’t happen in real life outside of school. I don’t know about you, but me, I’ve never worked at a company where everyone is the same age as me. And so in school, kids learning how to behave based on the examples of other kids their own age. Ummm…no. Really. NO.

And plus, with homeschooling I get to enjoy the wonder as Isabelle discovers and learns new things.

Science “class” about air on Flickr

Homeschooling? Yes, definitely the right choice for us. Or hey…maybe it’s all the naysaying I’m getting about it. You say I can’t do it? I say, WATCH ME.

*hard-core crazy homeschooler term from Bethany.

My birthday on Flickr

It was my 37th birthday on Friday. Alan has been asking and asking me what I wanted to do. But I’ve been sick. I didn’t want to travel far and I really didn’t want to do anything at all. So, finally I suggested we go to the bookstore. And a dinner out. But really I would have been perfectly happy staying at home.

Staying home and playing with my new lens! Alan got me a new macro lens. Before if I tried to take a picture of…well guess what this is.

This _blank_ looks all blurry because my other lens would not focus on it because the _blank_ is too close.

Boo! But with a macro lens, I can now focus on the _blank_.

Leaving

space

so

as

not

to

ruin

the

surprise

if

you’re

still

trying

to

work

out

what

it

is.

Ok.

here

comes

the

reveal.

A Cheerio!

I am loved.

First our pictures when Isabelle turned another month older.

Then more pictures several days later for when Nathan turned another month older, though we were a day late.

Maybe that’s why he was crying. Waaahhh I was forgotten!!

Actually, I don’t know why Nathan was upset. In the picture right before this, he had his hand in his mouth. Maybe he bit his finger? More likely he was tired. It was nap time. We hurriedly took these knowing he was tired because we did not want to risk forgetting the next day.

Once he was in my arms I soothed him and we was fine for a few more pictures. And I don’t know what Alan and Isabelle were looking at. I just asked. He was looking at our dead palm tree.

And then leaving this post with CRAZY eyes.

I think every post should end with crazy eyes.

Just practicing with my new lens. But I do have a point to this post.

A month ago or something like that (I cannot remember), my sister sent me a link about milk possibly causing eczema. After our struggles with Nathan and his poor face I was willing to try eliminating milk from my diet. And it worked! Did you notice how nice his face looked in the pictures from his birthday party? See:

It took a bit after I stopped drinking milk for his face to heal but then after that, it just stayed good. We wondered if it was really such a simple thing, the milk. So, one day we gave it a test. I drank some milk. Immediately, that day, he started scratching at his face again. Can’t be a coincidence right? So, I’m off of cow’s milk again. And it seems to be working again.

I now drink almond milk. Homemade almond milk! I don’t drink milk that frequently so I make only about 2 cups at a time so it doesn’t go bad. Here’s how I make it:

The only catch for me is, I don’t know exactly what is wrong with cow’s milk that is effecting Nathan. So, what else do I need to avoid? Cheese? Heavy whipping cream? What do I replace those with? And do I have to worry that he shouldn’t drink cow’s milk himself?

It’s too much to think about. Maybe I should just hope the milk thing is a coincidence and his face got better because he outgrow it. Yeah, let’s all hope really hard that’s what it is.

Last month, at a park, Isabelle came up to me with the saddest little look on her face, with tears threatening to fall. She was patching her eye and she said, “why am I different? Everyone asks why my eye is like this.” I felt so bad for her.

And we do get this question A LOT when she is patching. The patch looks like a bandaid and if we’re out, people will stare or ask if she had surgery or if she was hurt. I always explain, oh no, she’s just patching.

A few weeks ago, the library sent me an email about some books of interest. One of them, the Pirate of Kindergarten, was about a little girl, named Ginny, who was different. She didn’t see the same as everyone else.

The subject intrigued me so I went out and immediately borrowed it from the library. Me and Isabelle read it together right away in the car. We didn’t even wait to get home. The artwork is lovely.

And though Isabelle doesn’t see double the way Ginny does, I thought it was nice being able to read her a story about another little girl who sees differently.

I especially love these pages with the phoropter and eye chart, items Isabelle is used to seeing at the doctor’s.

This part, where Ginny starts to cry when she realizes she is different, just about made me cry.

After reading the Pirate of Kindergarten, I thought I would make Isabelle her own little pirate patch. Something that looked less like a bandaid so, hopefully, she will get less questions and rude stares.

Here’s my own little pirate of kindergarten.

Thank you George Ella Lyon for writing this for all of us who see the world different.