How to describe our home... That is the question of the day.
I occasionally read other people's blogs about their lives, their homeschools, their hobbies. So I think to myself how would I describe our home? There is not one word that describes it.
In our home we are able to be who we want to be. We are able to explore and delve into the things we are interested by. We are able to worship the Lord in the way that makes our hearts leap with joy. We learn, teach, scream, cry, laugh, shoot, and create. In our home we are allowed to be ourselves.
Growing up I didn't have that experience. My parent's house was prim and proper most of the time. I was unique but more often then not I was unique when not at home. I didn't have friends over, I didn't get to watch or listen to things that interested me, I didn't get to make messes very often. Don't get me wrong, I loved my childhood years. I still think of them with a smile on my face and in my heart. I have such wonderfully fond memories of growing up in a foster home.
When not at home I listened to music everywhere I went. I watched cable tv at my friends' houses and when I babysat.School projects were done at friend's houses, hardly ever at home. My parents liked a clean house, a quiet and well respected home. There is nothing wrong with that. That is not how my house is though.
In my hosue my kids can make messes, and I make them right along side of them.
In my house the radio can be blared on occasion. My son listens to the radio (Christian stations only) full volume every time he gets a chance. Someone always has a project they are working on. Sometimes that entails sawdust and hand tools in my living room or clay in the bedroom. Sometimes it means scrapbook stuff is laid out in the bedroom or on the kitchen table. Conversations about the oddest things come out of no where. School stuff is rarely put away. Dishes are rarely ever completely done.
My house is not the cleanest, but it is lived in.
My house is rarely quiet, when it is I worry why.
We homeschool but we do not replicate school.
We search the internet, netflix, the woods, the craft cupboard for anything that stikes our interest.
We make things out of whatever we find.
We love nature shows, This Old House, cooking shows, Sons of Guns, How It Works. We love PBS.
We fish, catch bugs, snakes and other creepy animals.
We have had mice and gerbils, taken care of hamsters, snakes, birds and cats. Our newts escaped and our hermit crabs killed each other.
We all have guns now. Some have pellet guns, some have airsoft guns and some have 22s. We all love to shoot. We all know how to handle and care for our weapons. We all are responsible.
Our school doesn't look like school. The kids are on the couch or in their room. We walk while doing spelling. We learn by talking and researching, not because we read it in a textbook. The librarians know us by name.
Now we have Egan. He's a year old now. We have watched him since he was 9 weeks old.
School. Home Economics. Child Care.
The boys know how to change diapers, make bottles, wipe up drool, feed him baby food and entertain him.
They are learning valuable lessons.
They are learning to be good fathers.
They are learning responsibility and accountability.
All in all I can't really sit down and give a simple answer of how we homeschool. I can only say we live life; therefore school is accomplished. Yes, we use some books, but we use life experiences more.
We are who we are and are only confined by the limits of our imagination. We homeschool.
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