Updates and more

Hello all . As you can see on the upper right hand corner of the screen I have added a blog updater . Is that really a word ? If its not well I just made up one :>) All you need to do is type in your email address and this will send you updates of our blog as I post more entries . That way its not all forgotten. I hope it works though .

I had read our comments from the last post and had some questions from some posters . So I thought I would answer them . I figure the more you know the more you grow , right?
The first question was about high school . What will we do for our girls for high school ?
Well , even though it is some time away for us as my girls are only 10 , 8 , 4 and 19 months . I have put thought into all . We are with a cyberschool right now . Cyberschooling is the new thing right now . It is schooling at home basically . We follow the same rules as a public school . State testing , we have an instructional supervisor that is assigned to us and if we need anything , if I have any questions she is there for us . Our cyberschool offers an option that not all cyberschools offer and that is virtual online , live classes . With a certified teacher . Should we chose this option ( which is soley based on indivdual choice of each and every family as to what works best for them ) . My daughters have access to this should I find that we get to a point that I feel uncomfortable teaching . Which to this point I have yet to get to this point . Well I'll admit 5th grade math isn't as easy as it used to be . But I'm learning right along with Marilyn and she is able to pass with A's in math . So I guess we aren't doing to bad yet .

College . All colleges accept homeschooled diplomas . Actually they are actively recruiting homeschoolers because they know that they are devoted to their education . That they aren't out partying all night or dropping out of college because , well let's face it .. our kids have never skipped classes . College is not an option for our girls . They will go . Where , well that is up to the college :>)

As for Prom . Well I went to high school , my husband went to high school . I did like my prom . But it wasn't what made my whole school experience . It wasn't what I really remember fondly about school . My main enjoyment was Band really . My husband went to junior prom but not his senior and really in the grand scheme of things at the age of 37 could still care less about it .
With that said , should our girls really want to go to prom .. they are more then welcome to . In Pennsylvania homeschoolers have the same access to extracurricular activies the public schools offer . So really , my girls won't look back and hate us wether they go or not . They will know with great pride that they had the choice to go though .
The next question is: Do I have a degree? . That answer is no . I had earned my teacher's aide certificate and have worked at a college daycare . That is all the educational experience I have outside of my home . So with that said . No . I was not homeschooled . I wished I had been . I would of loved it and thrived .

I know many intelligent people who donot have degrees, and I know many not so intelligent people with degrees :>) . In PA, and every state that I know of so far , a degree is not necessary . Most states do require you have your high school diploma , some donot have any laws . Just depends on where you live . I am a person who loves to learn , pursues the things I want to learn about , and finds new things to learn about everyday . I know homeschooling my daughters I have learned more things now then I did as a child . Its pretty hard when you were jumped around to about 10 different schools as a child . Not because we were in the military but because I was so horrendously teased as a child and the schools never did anything to protect me . I bet had my mom known about homeschooling she would of done that . But she did what she knew she could do and that was taking me out and putting me in another school . I spent more times trying to protect myself from bullying children that my education lacked. Now I wasn't a failing child . I actually had teachers that thought and new that I knew much more then I knew myself . But the abuse from the other children made me to into survival mode and I missed alot . I know have the opportunity to learn more of the things that I missed as a child and the plus is I get to do it all right along with my children . Math was never my strong suit . History I was never interested in . I did well in all my other subjects. I can definitley say in Marilyn's 4th grade Child's History of the World book has truely opened up a love for history now that I am 31 yrs old .
With all of that said I at some point would like to get a degree in something . Which I will .

If you have a love for learning , love being with your children , and know this is the right choice for YOUR family then homeschooling is a wonderful option . I never recommend it to families that say " I can't wait to get my children out of the house for the day " . It just won't work and everyone would be miserable . I am cautious to recommend it when a mother or father says " I just don't think I could do what you do . " With that I say its a choice and you never know wether you can or cannot do something until you've actually tried it .
Every family does what is best for them . What works for one maynot work for another . So its a family decision , but a wonderful one if you know its something you want to do .