Why we decided to year round homeschool

     

     Catching Our Kids Up! 

   Deciding to Year Round Homeschool is not for the faint of heart! .... There are MANY reasons we knew it was right for us.

What it means to our family might not be what it means to other. Homeschooling this is for us is about catching our kids up. They had a very rockie past with being "homeschooled" by a former step mother. Do to their experience with her they are very behind there with school. We have tested both kids with Sylvan Learning Center and the results well they were not good. Jay is on a 1.5 grade level when in a public school he would be going into 3rd grade. Hayley is on a 2nd grade almost the beginning of 3rd grade level. When she should be going into  4th grade. It breaks my heart to see how far behind they are due to someone elses failure. That is one of the largest reasons why we not only decided to year round homeschool. It is also the reason we have to year round homeschool. If we didn't then they would never catch up. They need alot of extra attention. One on one help to build the skills they should know by now. It's  alot of work day in and day out but it. Will be worth it to know my kids are on the grade levels that they should be.

   The kids Enjoy Picking Their Days Off

        It means long days and for us , it means that we can't take breaks the way alot of people do. We have to home school 6 days a week on most weeks. We have to do everything at each kids own speed. There are some days that we get done at 3pm and some days we go right up until 5pm. But at the end of each day we are all happy and the kids are proud of how far they have come. They are proud of the things they have learned. They get to pick days off. They get to have fun learning. It's hard work but there is nothing in this world that would change our minds about year round home schooling.

   We Prayed About It, let their faith grow

        We prayed about year round homeschooling for about 6 months before deciding to go ahead with it. We as a family believe that God should be the foundation for education. Our Catholic faith is a huge part of our life. We want our kids to learn every day the joys of our faith and to grow there love for God snd the Holy Mother. We sat down and talked as a family to our kids and asked what they want. How they want to homeschool and what subjects they want to learn. They get the freedom to pick fun classes, to pick what class work they do each day. ( luckly we have kids,who know the basic subjects must be done every day then they get to do the ones they want to do. )

   Give The kids Freedom To Pick What They Learn!

They get to help design activities and lessons every day so to them even on the subjects they struggle in are made fun.We believe in structure and that just because we are on school and we must do class work. That doesn't mean we can't have fun, do field trips, explore the world around us. Discover history as its meant to be learned. Learn the fun of science and grow there imaginations.


                 

Freedom To Let The Kids Learn Their Own Way!

         We wanted the freedom for our kids to be able to learn the way they want in the time frame that is best for them. Every child is different and learns at their own speed and own way. We believe our kids need to be able to learn the way they learn the best not the way the school teach. We are against common core and don't think it's right to attempt to make children learn one way of doing everything. There are many ways to learn. Just because one child gets the right answer one way doesn't mean a nother will get the right answer that way.

Our Believes About What Shouldn't Be!

     As a family we wanted to be able to spend time together. With traditional public school it seemed my kids were not being given the one on one attention. They need and they were moving to slow in some subjects and to fast in others. The kids bringing guns to school. The schools going on " lock down " every other week due to strangers attempts to enter the school. It was just all too much. Too much worry too much stress and too many fears. Not to count the teachers being caught for sexual relations and the fact that we don't feel our children need to learn " sex education." Until they are personally ready for it and I'm sorry but my children will not be ready for a long time. We wanted the freedom to not have to pull our children out of school due to a PCS. Our kids get to know other kids , build relationships and bonds. They get to play sports , they get to just be kids and not robots!

We don't believe in long school breaks for the kids. They get to pick a few days every month they want to have with no school. They get a say in their school year and they absolutely love it. Children deserve say in their schooling. We believe they want to learn when they get more say in their education.

Though our reasons might seem strange to some they mean alot to our family!

From Here To Korea... why you shouldn't stay behind

        Okay Lets get real!

   The hardest part about being a Military Spouse is the deployments and training. Yes I know so many people like to throw quotes out there like.

             " You knew what you were getting into when you married him dont complain "

                " Oh my husband goes out of town to work I know how you feel "

             

         "  I wish my husband would go out of town like that you are so lucky " 

" Y'all have so many benefits if we got everything for free like that I would be okay with my husband being gone all of the time " 

or my personal favorite  

" You get to email him, and video chat so its not as hard as you pretend it is "

No words have made me  angry as fast as those people out there who like to act like we have it easy.

I know we dont have it as hard as some people out there in the world

however dang it! being apart from your spouse is hard and sucks!

I will never forget the day my husband first told me he was going to be moving across the world.

Right after we got married my husband told me that he was going to be getting orders

some where new. He had no idea where or when he was going to leave. 

Days later we found out that my husband was going to be going to AIT!

Across the country to change his MOS and at some point from there

he would be finding out where he would be getting stationed at.

The worst part of all was he was going to have to leave on 

MY BIRTHDAY!

I was angry and hurt but I knew " what I signed up for "....

( complete crap if you ask me but thats another post lol )

The days passed quickly and before we knew it he was off to the Airport

I was crying my eyes out wishing for just one more day .... hour or anything.

Just so I could keep my newly wed husband for a little longer.

He boarded the plain and off he went to start his training

Little did I truly know just how much our lives

would be changing. 

He went through all of his training and come graduation day I sat and watched as they

marched in. One by one being called out.

Before I knew it , it was over and it was time to say good bye again.

( Photo shoot of me and my hubby at

Fort Leonard Wood MO ) 

He had gotten orders for South Korea and was leaving

shortly after graduation.

We talked about it often trying to decide if I should try to go with him. 

However with a custody battle and kids there was no chance of us being able to go.

His job took up pretty much all of his time and with the time difference it meant when we were able to talk that he had to lose sleep. How he made it through I truly don't know.I know he was my rock through the long day and even longer nights.

Were were one of the unlucky ones, my husband didnt get to have his mid tour leave.

through everything we dealt with his hardship tour to South Korea almost broke our family apart.

Not because of cheating , or because he was being dishonest but because we were apart. 

Only 6 weeks after getting married we were apart for 14 very long months. 

The idea that we could make it through the year in Korea was one thing but the reality of the matter is that you should never decide to stay back. You should be with your spouse every chance you can no matter what you have to do. There is no reason good enough to have to stay in a different country as your spouse for any period of time.

Take it from a a wife who struggled with it and a family that now has to deal with the after math.

Of our family being apart for way too long.

Trying to get back together and be a family is harder then you think.

The doctors say it takes about 6 months to get back into a normal routine where you can feel like your family is whole again. However who wants to go 6 months like that?

Who wants to watch their spouse seem lost, confused and all around hurt because he so use to being alone that being together seems painful?

I know that this is not everyones story of the hardship tour to Korea but its ours. 

If you have a story you would like to share of guest blog please email me at

CatholicHomeschoolingArmyWife@gmail.com 

I know I couldnt have made it through that year with out the support of the Army wives around me!

If you need someone remember Im here for you! 

Homecoming At Last!

                                              HE'S HERE!!     HE'S HERE!!

                                    

( The kids with their homecoming sign

Waiting at the airport )

           At last my buttface ( my hubby's nickname from me sense we first started dating ) is home at last! After the longest year and dome change of my life. He's home at last.
     
                                                  GOOD BYE KOREA!! 

      

       ( The kids playing on their phones, waiting at the airport )

           I don't know who was more excited me or our kids!

Their relationship warms my heart! There is nothing better then seeing the love my kids and husband have for each other. He is the greatest dad ever.

                                                       

               ( He is here at last!! The kids with their daddy )