Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The quest continues

Yes, I am still considering home schooling my guys. As I gently let me family and friends know that this is an option, I get many reactions, but mostly I get "What, are you crazy?" No I am not crazy. Furthermore, I feel more grounded than ever as I delve into this world. Who else can love and nurture my boys more than a mom? I am not sure where this journey is going, but I know that at the end of the road, my boys will be well educated, safe and have their self-esteem intact, which I am not seeing right now in their current school.

Wish me luck and if you are a praying person, please pray for wisdom and discernment.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Don't forget about me!

Today I had an ah ha moment. I have them a lot, but this felt a little different. I have been on overdrive lately working on many fronts. All toward a common goal, improving our lives as a family. Tonight I took time out of my busy schedule to have dinner with some friends. It was a nice dinner and we sat and talked for hours. It was amazing. I suddenly realized that I need to do that more often. My husband is great at this. He is very busy and yet faithfully he meets a friend of his for dinner two times a month. He calls it his night out with the boys. It is something he really looks forward to. Today I understand why. I will be putting something like this on my planner from now own.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Understanding My Fear

I started to feel an old pang today, the pang of fear. When it hit, I got right on the phone and called one of my trusted colleague. She was amazing and here is the quote she shared with me:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." The above speech by Nelson Mandela was originally written by Marianne Williamson who is the author of other similar material."
Wow, I understand now!! Thank you.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool that is the Question . . .

Oh the battle rages on. Where? In my mind and in my heart. I have always wanted to homeschool. When I had my secretarial service I actually managed a homeschool database and was thrilled to see how many families were successfully homeschooling their children. Then I had my two boys and postpartum depression. I thought then, oh my I am not meant to be home 24/7 with my two boys. That has worked for a few years. However, as my boys grow older and their experiences at school become more diverse, I am finding myself looking again at the option of homeschooling.

No I don't want to control everything they do. No I am not feeling alone and need their company. I have a full and busy day as a business owner. I love that my boys are independent, I don't want robots. The reason is that my boys are getting more than an education (reading, writing and math). They are getting some socialization that quite frankly I am not happy with.

I know from talking to successful homeschooling parents that the curriculum part of the day only takes 3 hours. The rest of the time at school tends to be fluff and filler. I now know several business owners who homeschool their children and do their business around their homeschool schedule. They have the best of both worlds. So I am again pondering what to do. I plan on doing some research so that I can make a good decision. Not one based on emotions, but on what is best for my two boys. Keep me in your prayers and thoughts as I wrestle with this one. It is big and it could be life changing.