A (Homeschool) Post Before Midnight

Well, this is a first, it's the fourth day of the blogging challenge and I haven't yet ran out of ideas about  what to write.  The only problem now is which one to write about first!  Since I haven't written about homeschooling in so long let me get that topic out of the way...

Today was a good day, we finished our Latin book way ahead of schedule (that's also a first!). I can smell Spring Break! That's of course after another round of snowfall this weekend. As much as I would like to say that finishing Latin early was out of efficiency it was really out of boredom LOL.  This winter has just been so cold that it wasn't always possible to shoo kids out of the house to play.  So when you can't play outside you conjugate and decline Latin. It may not be considered a delight-driven subject but in this home we delight in Latin and History.

If you are considering homeschooling let me tell you now it is a journey like no other.  It is like a love story - you fall in love, you fall out of love, you persist through the falling out of love phase then you fall in love again.  At least that is my story.  I was all starry-eyed as a young idealistic mother, I really wasn't very young, I was in my 30's.  Even then I had all the youthful passion necessary to take on such a huge vocation - staying home, teaching children at home.  It was fueled also by a fired-up faith and a little bit of pride ;-)  If you asked me why I homeschool at different moments of my life you would have gotten a different answer every time.  But with every different answer lies a simple truth - I teach at home because I love. We are all called to love in so many ways, each unique to our state in life.  Being at home with my children is where I am best able to fulfill that prayer promise - fiat voluntas tua - as a response to the One who first loved me.

Not everyone is called to homeschool.  Not everyone is called to homeschool every child, every school year or forever.  And like any other vocation, cooperation with grace is necessary.  And like any other vocation, the opportunities for holiness abounds.  I think I might use it as my excuse when St. Peter meets me at the pearly gates LOL.

For those of you who are discerning the homeschooling path there are two things you need to start with - pray...a lot! and then cultivate a home environment where your children will love being home, being home with you and being home with each other everyday, 24/7.  If you are able to do that you will be able to do anything and for those that you can't Google will be your bestfriend ;-)