Socialization is a myth. (warning: a rant)

So my biggest fear before homeschooling was how my kids would be socialized. Would they be weird if I homeschooled? Would I ruin them?

I knew two kids that went to our church that were homeschooled. They were NERDS; and it was obviously a result of being homeschooled. The most annoying thing about them was that they didn't know they were nerds. Completely oblivious! They obviously did not have the opportunity of being "clued in" to how nerdy they truly were since they had so much confidence in themselves...

Now wait a second. They were nerdy and they were confident. (how is that bad?)

I was so used to seeing the nerds at school having no self-esteem. They were nerdy and quiet. They kept to themselves and always looked sad/depressed.

Now wait a second again! There were nerds at school!?! How did public school fail them? I thought we all send our kids to school so that they become "socialized" or in other words, like everyone else so that they fit into society. So there shouldn't be any socially-misfit kids at school because they are all there being socialized, right?

OR... maybe, just maybe, whether a kid will be nerdy or socially "normal" is not determined by where they go to school, but who they are and who their parents are. Hmm... I think the latter is true.

Therefore, "socialization" is a myth. :D

Well, sort of. If you have a nerdy child, and you desire to send them to public school to be "socialized", they will be socialized. They will be that nerdy, no-self-esteem child that they ought to be.

Moreover, they will know their proper role in society. They will have experienced the "real world". We adults all know that in the real world everyone you interact with is your same age. And if you are a nerdy adult your peers will call you "stupid" and "fat-so" at work, and probably ignore you on your lunch break. So you might as well get used to it, beginning at the tender age of 5.

Does anyone else see the ridiculousness of this train of thought or is it just me?????

I'll admit it. I'm arrogant. I think homeschooling is a superior method of raising children and that it provides a superior education than public school. There may be some legitimate reasons some parents send their kids to public school, but "socialization" is not one them.

There are a lot of nerdy homeschoolers. And they are blissfully unaware of their nerdiness. And they are happy. And confident. That's what I want for my unsocialized, nerdy, homeschooled kids. Because in the "Real World", confidence matters.

Would You Want to be Home-Schooled???

This article from New York Times asks kids ages 13+ if they would like to be homeschooled. Scroll down to read their responses in the comment section. Then skip a few pages to where the homeschooled kids start writing their responses.

Here's one of my favorite responses. To be fair, I chose one that had correct grammar and spelling:

"Personally, I dont think that being homeschooled would be good because then you’re like this clueless person when you get to college. You wouldn’t know how to socialize and communicate with other people. You would be missing out on a bunch of projects, hands on, and group work. Basically, you would be unaware of the world. *Shrugs*… Imean if you can’t focus in class than you should go to like a private school where they might be more strict but still provide the social activities ..:D"



Seriously, like, pull them out now before it's too late!!! :D

We're doing good

Well, tomorrow will be week 12 of our school year. It is going really well. We do the reading, writing, phonics, & math every day without fail. I got caught up with the science & history, then got behind again. We'll be playing catch-up again next week in those subjects, and then I've scheduled in a two-week break for Thanksgiving and a week for Christmas projects. I scheduled three weeks of school in December, but I'm thinking about taking those off as well and moving school further into the summer.

I can do that since I'm the Principal :D

But we'll see. It depends on how busy December is.

Charlotte finished her Kindergarten math book and has moved on to Math Mammoth grade 1. Now she is officially in all first grade curriculum!

I highly recommend Essential Math A&B for Kindergarten and Math Mammoth for 1st-6th grade. I have been so pleased with these math programs. They are conceptually challenging, yet they teach in a line-upon-line way, particularly Math Mammoth. Even though math does not come naturally to Savannah, she is doing really well and it is making sense to her. She mostly does her math on her own now since it is written to the student. Charlotte, on the other hand, takes to math very easily. It has been a joy to watch her catch on so quickly (and a sweet relief!)

Similarly, language/spelling/reading comes very naturally to Savannah, while it comes slightly less naturally to Charlotte. However they are both very smart in both areas of language and math.

Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy teaching them? I mean, overall, in general.

Today I got frustrated with Savannah for dwaddling during math and making careless mistakes. And Charlotte's reading lesson was cut drastically short for fear I would accidently bite her head off. She kept guessing at words instead of sounding them out. I needed a nap after today's lessons.

However, to watch them learn and improve, to listen to their jokes and stories, and just get to know them at such a fun time in their lives is priceless.

Survival Mode

How to homeschool with 5 small children:

You don't! Hahahahhahahahahaha!
ok, just kidding.

You drop the nonessentials and focus on the 3R's: math, math facts, challenging word problem, spelling, phonics, dictation, copywork, narration, grammar, vocabulary, latin, cursive, & reading.

Just kidding again! Ohhhhhh, I'm so funny.

Really, you par down to essentials, establish a routine, go easy on yourself, and gradually add stuff back in as you can handle it.

The new baby hasn't so much been the challenge. It's a new baby & a boy toddler that has been the challenge. I figured out that school needed to be done during toddler's naptime.

I also dropped American history, all the projects that went with it, and our state study. School is going smoother now. I'm trying to catch up on science, ancient history, and myths. We'll get there. And even if we don't, it will be ok. It's just gravy. (However, we WILL)

A House of Order

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 88:119).

Homeschooling is more than just doing school at home. It is a lifestyle. It encompasses the entire day, not just when we're doing math and phonics. Homeschooling is learning how to live with each other in a way that is uplifting and joyful, rather than stressful and frustrating.

I am NOT saying that I have it all figured out. Anyone that knows me and has been in my house is well aware of that fact. However, this is the goal and purpose that I have in mind. And, in fact, there are a few things I HAVE figured out that I'd like to share.

First things first: you have to have a clean and orderly house.
Both Isaac and I can wholeheartedly recommend Accountable Kids. Worth. Every. Cent.
My children keep the house clean. They have it down to an art now. The house can be COMPLETELY destroyed and they'll have it clean in about 20-30 min. I take care of cleaning the kitchen (because they aren't tall enough to reach the cabinets) and doing my own laundry/bedroom/bathroom. I don't have to yell, or threaten, or spank. And yes, I did all three of these as "motivation" before I found this awesome program. They get ready for the day in the morning & for bed at night, quickly, and without reminders. It has made such a difference in our home. Everyone is happier.

Second: Establish a routine.
Whatever it may be, make your day fairly predictable. Over time it becomes easier to get things done (like math or actually DOING school) when they know it is coming at the same time, every day, no exceptions. Of course, surprises are fun too. Don't forget those!

Third: Spiritual learning is more important than academics.
The BEST part of being home with your kids all day is how much time you have to teach them the gospel. Is that not the most important part of motherhood? Prayer, music, and scriptures are included throughout the day. These times are sweet and relaxing times (usually) when we feel the spirit and learn about Jesus. It is everyone's favorite time of the day.
Of course, it is not only WHAT we teach, however, but who we are through our daily (ALL day) example. Isaac and I have found that privately studying the Book of Mormon for 30 min. a day, as well as having daily personal prayer, has made all the difference. For me, reading the Book of Mormon helps me have the companionship of the Spirit, which brings peace of mind & heart, as well as a clear understanding, and feelings of love towards my family. VITAL to the daily grind of having your kids at home with you ALL. DAY. LOOOONNNNNGGGG. Instead it becomes a JOY rather than a chore.

And last but not least: QUIET TIME!!!!
1 hour, for sanity's sake. I just started doing this. Each kid goes to a different room for an hour. They take books to read or look at. Maddy likes to color for her quiet time. We are all separated from each other. WOW. Quiet time is one routine that is here to stay. Again: everyone is just happier when we have quiet time in our day. I highly recommend it!

McGuffey Readers

I love these books and so do my children.  I use the Primer, First, and Second readers for daily reading practice.  These first three readers contain simple stories with pretty pictures.  They just love them.

Readers 3-6 contain such a beautiful collection of stories and poetry that I just don't want them to miss out.  Yet, I don't want to do a lesson/day like we do with the beginning readers because they increase in difficulty very quickly, for example, the third reader should last a few years.  I also want to spend more time on one lesson so that it becomes more ingrained on their minds. 

I've been looking for a way to bring them more into Savannah's daily schedule lately, as well as incorporate more Charlotte Mason ideas, and I think I have come up with a plan.  We'll try it for the next few weeks to see how it goes.

With Savannah I'm going to start in the Third reader and work on one lesson a week for oral reading, copywork, and dictation.

ORAL READING:  This is to help her learn to pronounce words clearly and correctly, as well as to speak in front of other people.  On day 1 & 2, she reads the lesson out loud to me.  We work on saying the words clearly.  Day 3 & 4 she reads it standing up as if reading to an audience.  This time, in addtion to speaking clearly, she needs to speak loudly and with correct intonation.  Hopefully on day 4 or sometime over the weekend I can provide her with an audience.  Maybe during Family Home Evening.

COPYWORK:  I will choose part of the lesson for her to copy on day 1, and a different part of the lesson to copy on day 3.  She will mark the words phonetically as we do in Phonics Road.

DICTATION: I will dictate her copywork to her on day 2 & 4.  No phonetic marks this time.  Dictation is one of the most effective ways to learn spelling.

I think this is a good plan.  We'll see!

The Sun is a Mass of Incadescent Gas...

Above is Charlotte's notebook page showing the earth rotating around the sun.

This is Savannah's notebook page.  (Oops, I just noticed she didn't start with a captial and she spelled "solar" wrong.  I'll have to have her correct that)

Maddy drew a beautiful picture of the sun as well.

Our science experiment: we are melting chocolate. 

We also decided to set our dead grass on fire.  It works really fast!

Our burned piece of chocolate.

Cleaning up afterwards is the best part!

Charlotte can read!

Ok, well, sort of.  She is so excited about this.  I handed her a book with a bunch of "Little Bear" stories in it and she will not put it down.  She read all day today and yesterday.  She is almost done with the whole book.
She also loves reading the Book of Mormon in the morning.  She always wants to be the first to read and she frequently asks to read more than just one verse.  (She still needs help with about half the words).
She also loves her McGuffey reader.  Savannah loved those too.

Neither of them enjoy(ed) reading from The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, however it gets the job done.  I think I have it down now, as a teacher of reading and phonics, that I may be able to permanently drop that book forever from our curriculum list. 

Maybe.

Education must have its roots in moral principles....

"Let us never lose sight of the fact that education is a preparation for life -- and that preparing for life is far more than knowing how to make a living or how to land on the moon. Preparing for life means building personal integrity, developing a sound sense of values, increasing the capacity and willingness to serve. Education must have its roots in moral principles. If we lose sight of that fact in our attempt to match our educational system against that of the materialists *, we shall have lost far more than we could possibly gain."
--Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 297


*Materialist=One who denies the existence of spiritual substances, and maintains that the soul of man is the result of a particular organization of matter in the body. Webster's 1828 Dictionary

It is a little daunting to be in complete charge of my children's education.  I think about education constantly: curriculum, methods, theories, etc.  It's what I read about, what I research, and what I spend my time doing every day.  I enjoy it thoroughly. 

However, I feel that I am missing something.  I want the spiritual and moral to be at the root of our education (OUR because I'm being educated right along with the kids) than the academic pursuit... which is easy to get caught up in.  How do I get there?  I think I need to rethink my goals for my kids and their education. 

I want more joy and delight in learning. 

I need to be a better person than I am; I need to work on my own testimony and character.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We are at the end of Week 3 and it is going really well.  I feel that I have chosen some really great curriculum this year.  Our days are getting shorter as we are getting into the routine and habit of our lessons... which leaves more room for playing... or whatever we want to do.

Phonics Road is solid, as is Writing With Ease.  They don't take very long at all and they are teaching great skills.  Why do I want to ditch them both and follow a Charlotte Mason approach? 

At this age... a CM approach would include ONLY narration and copywork (when it comes to the language arts), and a gazillion good books.  Dictation and light grammar instruction wouldn't come until 4th grade or so, according to CM, WHICH, I believe, is a successful route as well.

PR and WWE are easy now with only two kids to work with.  How will it be when I have a 6th, 4th, 2nd, Ker, and preschooler (and possibly toddler, infant, and who knows how many more...)?  Will I regret my obsessing and fretting over academics while my children are young and wish I had been more relaxed about it and ENJOYED the journey more?

WHY let go of something solid that is working?  Is this just me changing my mind again or a prompting from the Spirit?

More to ponder, research, read about, think about, and pray about.  It truly never ends.

Solar System

This is our solar system that we painted and hung up today, to accompany our astronomy study this year.  It was a fun project.  Even Maddy helped.  She painted the Sun and Neptune.  She is so proud of her work.

The Bigs really wanted to pose underneath it.  They think they're soooooo funny.  And they are.

They're modeling their new backpacks.  This past week we've done school at the park.  We go from 8 am to 10 am.  Savannah and Charlotte usually get math and phonics done, and sometimes writing.  They take 10 min. breaks on the playground between subjects.  Zach and Maddy play well together, they let me teach, and they're much happier the rest of the day.  It has worked out really well for us so far. 

Exept for the last day... we got eaten by mesquitos, it was hot and muggy, math was difficult, and Zach was ready to go home early.  THAT was a bad day, but the other days were good!

In Maddy's backpack is her Walmart pre-school workbook, a framed picture of Jesus that she has claimed as her own, and an assorment of toys that she is careful NOT to play in the sand with anymore, since she lost two toys in the sand the first day.

Next 6 Weeks!

This probably doesn't mean anything to you, but it is wonderful to me.  I have the entire year planned; this is just the first 6 weeks.  It's a labor of love, I tell ya!  You have to click on the picture to actually read it.

Hot Summer Days

What is there to do on hot summer days?  When you're 7 months pregnant, nothing that requires leaving the house!

We just got back from vacation last Tuesday, and did not homeschool the rest of the week when we got home, so the kids have been BORED.  I've been busy planning next school year, printing out books that I need to put together, and making a chore chart that is much more than JUST a chore chart (I'll explain with pictures later)... which, to me, is a whole lot of fun.  However, the kids have been unhappy.  So, back to the grind on Monday.  Math, phonics, writing, reading, piano, and chores keep us all very, very busy and feeling like we've accomplished something during the day.

What do other people do who don't homeschool during the summer? 

It's not all school and chores around here.  We do go to the pool every other evening, but it is closing soon (beginning of August) because the public school is starting up.  And they watch their fair share of movies and play outside during free time.  Its just that TOO much free time gets so boring.  I think they're excited to do school next week.  I know I am!

Some days...

are better than others.

Last week we schooled only three days.  One of those days, Savannah only did math.  It was helping her with math that did it for me.  I was done afterwards.  All patience and good feelings flew out the window.  I told the kids to go play because I knew nothing would get accomplished if I tried to continue. 

One of those days the girls woke up early and started playing intently (fairies and ponies and building houses out of legos..) and I let them continue because they're 3, 5, & 7.  Sometimes playing is just more important.  Meanwhile, I made up a cleaning schedule for them... and what a wonderful thing it is, too.

One of those days last week were wonderful.  The moon and stars aligned so that Zach and Maddy were happy during school, everyone focused on their lessons, and we ended the 3Rs by 10 am.  Holy Cow!  That was a really good day.

The past two days (it's only Tuesday), 3R's have taken us past noon.  I HOPE, hope, hope, this trend doesn't continue.  I was just glad that we were able to finish it before meltdown point (for me).

Oh, how homeschooling tests, stretches, and grows my patience.  I am getting better at it.  Really.

Phonics Road genius!

Zach was listening in on the phonics lesson I was giving Charlotte when he started reciting the four sounds of the phonogram OU.  Silly boy.

d'Aulaire's Greek Myths

So for Day 3 of our school week (which is today), we read from d'Aulaire's Greek Myths. It is wonderfully illustrated and keeps the kid's attention well. I love ALL d'Aulaires books for this reason, and the fact that they are so well written.

So I was reading about Greek gods and was watching the kid's faces as well... it was so funny. There are crazy stories in the beginning: brothers marry their sisters, son kills father, father eats his own children... I started to wonder if I shouldn't be reading this to my kids, even though they know these are made-up stories.
Then we finally got to Zeus and his twelve gods that are under him that are so well-known. Poseidon, ruler of the sea with his trident, is Ariel's dad in The Little Mermaid. A you-tube video of Vivaldi's music had Zeus in it with his thunderbolts that Savannah recognized. Hades, ruler of the underworld, is another name for Hell. Many of them are used in Shakespeare's plays, which we're reading as well. Sprites are mentioned in the Greek Myths, which Savannah's favorite sprite is Puck from A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. So I'm seeing that there is wisdom in reading these crazy stories of the greek gods. They are everywhere in stories, old and new, that even the kids pick up on.
Isaac is jealous that I get to stay home and learn with the children. I love homeschooling. Have I mentioned that yet?

TJed

So I've met THREE ladies so far that are thinking about or wanting to homeschool. All three have looked at TJed (and I think ONLY TJed) and really like it; they all know families that do TJed really well.

I've read about it on the internet, but have never actually read the book because I haven't been impressed with what I've read thus far. I borrowed the book from one lady and finally read it. Still not impressed. His main idea: to read the classics and teach our children from the classics, is a great idea. The Well-Trained Mind also does this. Charlotte Mason also does this. The difference between the three, from what I can tell, is that the latter two are realistic on how to get there (both in their own ways), whereas TJed is completely unrealistic. He provides no clear path to obtaining that goal.

My second gripe about TJed is the "inspire, not require." I get it. BUT I think a better, more realistic approach would be "inspire as you require," or... "inspire, and if that doesn't work, require."

You've got to learn the math facts (and actually TJed briefly mentions this..) and if I can't INSPIRE you to learn them, you will be required to learn them. Sure, I can't make a kid learn something, but we will drill it daily until they learn them involuntarily and are dreaming in math facts, because they're that important.

I want to be able to focus on literary discussions on the classics when they are in middle/high school age, and not be remediating with math facts or reading ability during that time. The foundation HAS to be solid so that we can do the more important things when they're older. I focus on the 3 R's in grammar, inspired or not, we will do them every day. I'm working TOWARDS the goal of learning from the classics.

So anyway, it just doesn't make a lick of sense to me, and I don't know why so many LDS women are attracted to TJed. I cannot even pick up a classic book and read it easily because of my measly education. I have a long way to go. Why would I expect my children to do so with a similar flimsy foundation?

Here's a great blog that argues the specific points of TJed and why it's bogus: http://whyidontdotjed.blogspot.com/

I think you can glean some good things from the TJed books, but... I'm encouraging these women to look at other options as well. I don't agree with everything from TWTM or CM either, but both provide a clear and reasonable path to the ultimate goal of reading and learning from the classics.

Success!

Today, our first day with our new schedule, was a success. Reading while the kids are still in bed worked out really well.

Additionally, we did The Story of the World today. I figured that if we listened to about 20-30 min. of it on CD, we would make fairly good time... sort of.. if we schooled year round. I ultimately decided to go with it over A Child's History of the World because of the map & coloring activities that come with it. I printed out the student pages for the two chapters we read today and they colored while they listened. I stopped the CD occasionally to check comprehension and explain things. Perfect for us. Exactly what I was looking for.

Tomorrow will not go as planned because I have a meeting in the morning. I'll try to at least cover the basics but I doubt we'll be able to get to Apologia this week. Maybe though.

Brilliant ideas....

I have some truly *brilliant* ideas when it comes to homeschooling. Seriously. It's just putting those ideas into practice that is difficult.

I never did follow through on my last brilliant idea concerning history. We read one chapter of A Child's History of the World.. and were bored. And busy. My beautiful timeline is still empty. That was during the home renovation. (yuck) We did about a month's worth of good schooling while we lived in Kentucky, then finally I gave up and we were consistent only with math until we moved.

So now we're settled in our new house. We've been doing math, phonics/spelling, writing, and reading consistently for about a month, and I'm feeling ready to add in the fun stuff again.

(The secret to homeschooling is to add in subjects gradually, in order of most importance, to get used to the routine and not feel like your head is going to explode. That's how I work at least.)

So here's our schedule currently:

Breakfast at 7:30. We read the Book of Mormon at the table while we eat; kids take turns reading.

Math is next.

Charlotte is usually done with her math page before Savannah, so we'll work on her writing, which is either copywork or narration, depending on the day.

Savannah is usually still working on her math when Charlotte finishes writing (math is not Savannah's favorite subject), so then I'll go do a reading lesson with Charlotte, then drill her on her phonograms and practice writing the ones she is having trouble remembering. (Brag: Charlotte is doing ALL 1st grade curriculum now... and she's not even in Kindergarten yet! Savannah is well beyond her grade level as well, except in math she's right on.)

Then Savannah's turn for writing. It's either copywork, narration, or dictation.

Then I do phonics with Savannah: review the phonograms, then do a spelling test from yesterday's words, and then dictate her new list of words, which she marks using the Spalding method (underlines phonogram pairs, marks which sound each phonogram makes, marks the spelling rules used, etc.)

Then we practice piano. Savannah just started piano lessons last week and we have to practice every day. She loves it. She has a great teacher (and it's not me!!!! yay!!!)

THEN... I get all three girls together and we have devotional. It's usually about 10:30 by this time, and Zachy is taking a nap. For devotional we practice singing a primary song a few times, then have a prayer, then practice the scripture we're memorizing, then I either read them a story from the Friend or from the Scripture Readers. This has worked really well for us.

After that, the last two weeks we've been having "reverent time" because our children are monsters during sacrament meeting every Sunday. So they sit in their little chairs with their arms folded for 30 every day, and we either listen to a general conference talk or watch a church movie. Lately, we've been watching Finding Faith in Christ. I love watching their faces while they watch the movie. They have such a love for the Savior.

After that, we're done (and I'm exhausted). It's usually lunch time by then.

Later in the day, Savannah goes to my room to read for 30 min. She usually reads longer because she's into the book. I'm having her read the books that come in the Early American History package from Beautiful Feet. And I try to squeeze in another reading practice with Charlotte later in the day as well. Oh, and I practice phonograms with little Maddy too. During school I give her LOTS of coloring pages to color. She's calls it her "math".

Before bedtime I've been trying to get in about 30 min. of reading aloud books that are more on Maddy's level, but that they all three enjoy, if they get ready for bed in time.

Things that are changing, starting next week:

BEFORE breakfast, before the girls get out of bed, I'm going to read to them for 30 min. in their room. They will draw out of a jar which book will be read from. These are mostly books from Ambleside Online. They include: James Harriot Treasury for Children, Aesop, Book of Fairy Tales, Book of Virtues, Just So Stories, 50 Famous Stories, and Beatrix Potter.

Then, the rest of the day goes on as before, except instead of reverent time, we will have another reading time. Only during this reading time it is academic reading, but short 'n sweet. No more than 20 min. max.

Monday's reading will be from Story of the World (or I'll give A Child's History of the World another shot since SOTW will take years to finish at that rate. Not sure yet). They'll narrate back to me, then they'll color a picture having to do with the story (historical timeline figures on CD that I can print out any size, from homeschoolinthewoods.com), put it on a colored index card and place it on the timeline. The color of the index card has to do with the geographical location of the event. (This idea came from charlottemasonhelp.com, under history).

Tuesday's reading will be from Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy. They'll narrate the reading, illustrate their science composition book and dictate/copy one thing they remember from the reading.

Wednesday's reading will be literature: alternating Daulaire's Greek Myths and Beautiful Tales from Shakespeare. We'll just read and talk about it.

Thursday's reading will be from This Country of Ours (a very un-PC American History narrative... includes words such as "savages" and "pale-face" *gasp*!) We're going to notebook our readings from it as well (illustrate, copywork). This idea also comes from charlottemasonhelp.com. It includes a few maps to mark as well.

And Friday will be our Artsy-Fartsy FUN DAY! No math, no reading, no writing, no phonics, no history, no science, no Shakespeare, and no Greek myths. We will keep piano and devotional though.

Friday Artsy-Fartsy Fun Day: my goal is to do a nature walk in the morning (there are lots of trails around here), bring something from nature home and draw it in our nature journals.
We'll listen to the composer we're studying, we'll look at a painting of the artist we're studying and add it to our art book, and we'll read from our poetry book while we eat a special yummy snack (poetry teatime: idea from bravewriter.com).

Then we'll do any science or history activities/experiments from the week's readings.

And then we'll relax and play.

I'm hoping my plan will work well and that it won't be too much for me. It shouldn't take much longer than my current schedule. I get tired being pregnant and having a Zachary to entertain. He is a go-and-do kid, and ALL BOY. I love him. And I love homeschooling my girls.