For those of you that may not know, we are homeschoolers. A choice we made while the Entomologist was just an infant. A choice that we are very proud of, however stressful it may become. We take it one year at a time, keeping the option of public school open, even tho we hope we never get to that stage.

As a homeschooling mom, there are days that I doubt my own abilities. Days when it seems the only right thing to do would be place our children in the public education system. These are days that perhaps I become the most selfish, and wish for time alone. As you may imagine, homeschooling allows for very little alone time. Very little time for me to refresh and recharge.

I quickly come around, and know that for our family, we have made the best decision. Then enter the "am I teaching them what they need to know" question. Of course I am, but I think ALL homeschooling families go thru this from time to time.

Because the Entomologist is such a busy boy, we have chose Delight Directed Learning, or "unschooling" as it is more commonly called. In this process, we live life, and incorporate into our daily lives, lessons. Math, reading, writing, and of course science, all can be found LIVING the life we live. I always make sure that we are learning something. I keep our States Standard of Learning nearby, and make sure that we are on track, or at least holding with the public schooled counterparts. I can't tell you that we are "in" kindertgarten, or even first grade, as there are areas that the Entomologist far exceeds those "boundaries". Then there are areas where he is right where he should be. He is, at the very least "average", but far above that in many areas.

It's hard, as I am sure you may imagine. To be 100 percent responsible for your child's education. If you think about it tho, we ALL homeschool, for at least those first 5 years of life before you place your child in school. We have taught them to walk, talk , potty, the ABC's, colors, shapes, etc.

The world is our classroom, and we are ready to explore.


ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference


Robert Frost