And so it begins...

kind of.

I have been teaching my children at home for years. It wasn't my original intent; I had different dreams and aspirations for my occupation, none of them originally included having my own children, let alone home schooling them. But I was lucky enough to be in the tiny percentage of people whose best placed plans and protections failed and so I took the challenge.

Twice.

And while I grew up thinking that homeschooled kids were weird and that public school was the best option, I had never actually had to turn a child over to a teacher--or to witness what happened to the children in those classrooms. I volunteered regularly. I was involved. And unlike a lot of grown-ups, I really remember, viscerally, what it was like to be a child. Watching them wither in that environment was, for the most part, more painful than childbirth.

Of both of my children, each made it through one year without me yanking them out. My son had an amazing student teacher for the 3rd grade; I went to pull him out and she asked if I would let her try. I did and was never sorry. My daughter had an amazing kindergarten teacher for that same year. The following year, I pulled them both out--for good. My only regret is that I tried to make public school work for them, especially for my son. That I didn't trust myself sooner. That I wasted so much of their time and mine trying to make it work.

I probably shouldn't bag on the public school system; I have two siblings and various other relatives and friends that work in the system. But it seems even the best schools are kept in check by convincing parents to pump kids full of mind altering drugs and getting rid of the undesirable students. I don't want my kids to sit still while learning. And they don't learn sitting still. I want them to move. I want them to love active learning. I want them to think.

I could go on for hours, but I won't. That is behind us and this blog will keep track of this year. Maybe more. Just a bit of where we've been to start it off.

Let the cataloging of the adventure begin.