School begins

"Are you going to homeschool these two?"

I've been asked this question about a zillion times since Abbey came home. My answer was always, "That's the plan, Lord willing..." Although my verbal answer was affirmative, on the inside, I wasn't exactly doing somersaults of joy at the prospect. I mean, geeze , I had homeschooled four kids through to high school. While there were many, many cherished memories, I must admit I was a little glad to turn the schooling responsibility over to the public schools when the time came. While admitting those feelings would probably have me ostracized permanently from the Nazi-homeschool community, (with whom I don't care to be apart of), the regular homeschool families, (whom I want to be apart of), would understand where I'm coming from.

So, all summer long folks would ask, "Have you got your curriculum? Have you joined a group?" To each inquiry, I'd respond, "Nope, not yet. I'll think about it later." I could just see their mind's cogwheels turning, and labeling me as crazy or possibly just lazy (both could be true). In my mind I had a check list and was going in my arranged order:

1. Get through Daniel's high school graduation.
2. Get through with swim team coordinating duties.
3. Get through week long beach vacation.
4. Get Daniel to college.

Then,

5. Get Abbey's curriculum and start school.

It wasn't like I hadn't done this a few times before, and it's just kindergarten, for pete's sake!!

So I ordered her curriculum. When it came she was so excited. She began badgering, begging me to start school. But, no! I held my ground. No way was I going to start before Labor Day! Let me enjoy every day of my vacation, please! (I wanted to tell her, "One day you'll thank me.")

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. At least, that's what I'm choosing to believe!

You might say I needed an attitude adjustment. Never fear, God had it all under control.

On the day we took Daniel to college, as I've shared here, it was so hard to tell my boy goodbye. I began to rewind my mind and it occurred to me how thankful I was that I had the homeschooling time with Daniel. I had no doubt that I had shared my values, my heart and my wants for his life with him. I didn't worry whether I had imparted to him what I thought he needed to know to be successful. I knew that we'd shared some funny and fun times together. I knew that I had not wasted any of my precious time with him, which had flown by so fast. I knew that I know him very well. I know how he thinks, his likes, his dislikes and his dreams for his future. I knew that academically he has had the opportunity to excel and move at his own pace. I knew that we'd accomplished all of these things because John and I had made the decision to home school. Not that I couldn't have done those things if he'd gone to school, I could have. But, it would have been more difficult to do, and I would have been competing for a voice in his life. I'd have sublet the authority to someone else. For a few years, John and I were the voice to point him to God's voice. Not that we stifled him. He had many opportunities to hear from others at church and social activities. Homeschooling had offered us a unique opportunity to be so much more  apart of his life for an extra 8 hours a day!

This epiphany was just what I needed to meet the homeschool demands full-on and with excitement! That first day of school was met with glad tidings, both for Abbey and me!

We've already made some great memories. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to speak into her life on a daily basis, and watch her grow and learn new things. I know that, Lord willing, when she and Elijah go to college or wherever they go after high school, I'll be sending them knowing that I grabbed all the time with them that I possibly could!