Maybe, Just Maybe, We are doing a good job

Wow! I can’t believe it has been a whole week since I have written any thing on this blog. You know it seems when life gets busy the things you enjoy are the things you let go first. Life got in my way: So anyway, first I would like to say Thank YOU and I love the blog button Sniffles and Smiles has awarded me.

I will wear it proudly and give it a good home. I promise to feed it everyday and teach it not to bark……. You are so good to think of me… Sniffles and Smiles….You have really become a special friend and I just want to thank you properly.

THANK YOU!

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There have been lots of things on my mind this week; First things first ~ School ~ We have been schooling now for 7 years and this is the first year I have not doubted myself…….as much. Every year I have people ask me if I think it would be best to put the kids back in school and every year we have held our breath and held our feet steady and said; “No, we are doing a good job and this is best for our family.” Hoping…….. We where right and everything would be okay. Believe me, when I tell you it has not been easy………”IT” has not been easy! We have home schooled through………. THREE very long lay offs, under employment, family divorces, accidents, the death of Mark’s father, a baby (Yeah!), cancer, a heart attack, a miscarriage, self employment, dyslexia, bratty kids, defiant kids, stinky kids, great kids, now a toddler and the list of the fun stuff just goes on and on………..My point is in telling you all this is we have stuck to what we thought was best thing for our family even when it was hard. Choosing to home school is never an easy choice……….. It has been hard to stay focused and keep our eyes on the goals we have set for our family. It is hard to see these goals day after day; It is hard to stay focused through tears, fighting with kids that really don’t care to get school work done or do not believe one day they will grow up and things will be different. They will be the ones that are in charge. They will actually be in college and have jobs one day. It is hard to stay steady through day after day ~ doing school all day, every day…. ((and I mean all day…some days from 8 or 9 in the morning to 10 or 11 at night))…….We have taken away privileges, friends, parties and anything that will help the kids see if math is not done and done neatly......they will not, can not and should not do whatever or anything they want.....If they don't study for that test they will fail...It has been hard to make kids understand Mom is not mom in the class room. She is the teacher. Do your work!

..It has been hard explaining our position to well wishing friends that are teachers or to people that just think we are making the biggest mistake of our lives. Through all this Mark and I have stuck to our guns. We have stuck together strong. For us, Home school has been our only choice……..WE live in South Carolina and let’s face it…..This state is not family friendly. The education level of this state ranks last ~ This is not because we have bad teachers……we have some great teachers in our area…teachers that really care…... I am sure this is due to the funding the schools are NOT getting from the state. The class rooms are over crowded and there is just not enough money to go around. When we realized our children where not getting what they deserved in our schools and we where unable to afford a private education the next best choice was to home school. At the time we left the school system the company Mark worked at for 20 years was closing it’s doors due to “over sea’s competition” and 9-11…… Since then…It has been a long hard road…..I look at our family now and see……..we have grown and survived so much. Our family is strong…….the education we have given our children has been great for everyone…..even me.

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I have a secret about our oldest…. Matthew…that I must tell you about;

He has started the “Jump Start” program at the Technical School in our area. ((“Jump Start” is just what it says…….a “Jump Start” on college.)) He earns high school and college credits…..at the same time… The kids that take these classes have to qualify for these course. To qualify they have to pass the college entrance exam…..which he did……. I am so excited about all this. I can’t help but think things are finally starting to pay off…….all those years of fighting with him to get his work done….all those years of making him go, dragging him, to debate class. All those endless hours, tears and sleepless nights…..We have sat in our class room working…….. is paying off. I am so excited for him. I can’t help but think this is going to be a great way to ease back into the school setting. AND you know what?

The best part....

The best part is, the other kids are seeing Matthew’s success and they want it too. They want to start college in high school. They want to qualify……These past two weeks……..when I have been looking for kids to start school……..they have already started……..with out ME……

I am just giddy!!

…Can you believe it? I think I can let my breath out…… just a little this week……because I think….I just think maybe, just maybe I am doing a good job with this teaching thing.

Just maybe I am.