What?!? Unschooling?!?

Okay, I have to get my thoughts on paper (I mean, on screen) so I can sort them out and hopefully someone who needs to hear this will come across it.....

Sorry for scattering between subjects but that is where my heart is leading me….
I have been researching "unschooling" over the past few days.

God has put it on my heart after struggling to get my 6 year old to do any "seatwork".   I began home schooling her 3 weeks ago, after 1 1/2 years of public education.   I have workbooks and some texts.   I have tried very hard to not call what I teach her "school work" so that she will have a positive outlook on it (homework was often a battle).   But I have this voice in the back of my head (not literally…lol) telling me she won't amount to anything without an "education”, as she cries and complains while writing out her mispelled words.

Let's go back a little now...

My oldest daughter, now a senior, is unable to balance a check book or address an envelope on her own.   I know she could figure it out...she is an extremely bright girl!   But she is graduating not knowing these real life skills!!!   My mom had been helping her one on one to get through her last class (government) and she told me that she had never learned so much in her life!   That's when the light bulb really went on in my mind and I could feel God's encouragement to consider this "home school thing" for my two youngest.

My oldest daughter has one of the most compassionate hearts ever.   She is excellent with babies, children, and animals. She has always had a talent of reading people.   One day when she was a toddler, a stranger in a bakery told me that she was, "going to rearrange the world someday".   And I have never had a doubt! I know that God gave her talents in these areas to use for His glory and I know that if she seeks His will, she will do just that.

Shortly after that…..

I was struggling to keep my youngest in the preschool church program because of his behavior.   He was adopted.   His birth mother, bless her heart,  was a drug addict.   He has multiple diagnosis, including high functioning Autism.   He looks, and for the most part acts, like a normal 5 year old boy. He is the most stressful little person I have ever known.   Through each new sleepless night and fits of rage there shines a rainbow of radiant light though.

He brings us more joy than I can put into words.   One of his AWANA teachers told me that she lets him walk around the room while she is teaching, and though he appears to not be paying attention at all, he rattles off all of the answers.   This is when it occurred to me that he learns better when he is not paying attention, or seems to not be anyway.

This and other “aha moments” led my husband and I to pull him out of every activity where he had to “sit” to learn.   It was such a relief.   He could have done it. He tries so hard to “be normal” and act like the other children when he is at preschool, but it exhausts him when he gets home.   This was a hard calling to accept.   It was one that I begged God not to make me do.   Home school?!?   This child…  the one that I have been counting the years until he went to Kindergarten.   But I couldn’t deny the overwhelming peace this decision brought, I guess God gives you that peace because His gifts and His call are irrevocable (Romans 11.29).

I still tried to negotiate though.   “Okay God, I will do it this year, but next year he will be all ready for Kindergarten, older, more mature“.    Then I got a phone call out of the blue, a friend asking me out to lunch. The topic…home schooling.   This is the friend who brought me to the Lord so I had to listen.    She had no intention on it being the topic, as did I, but I started asking questions (because she home schools), and from there I knew for sure God had plans for me.

I discussed this with my husband and we both agreed that we would wait to pull our 1^st grader out, so she could finish out the year.   But God had different plans.   After winter break, she just didn’t go back. The most amazing thing was happening.   Every time I had the faintest idea that I couldn’t do this, God would bring me peace.   I remember when I was 18 years old and pregnant.   I wanted to be the best mom I could be and I definitely wanted to nurse my new baby.   After many doubts, I remember my Mom telling me that God makes exactly the right amount of milk with exactly the right nutrition that each baby needs.   She told me not to worry, God would provide.

Now, after three weeks of stress trying to “plan lessons” and follow worksheets I have felt the need to research unschooling, or child led learning.   And this is what brings me to the rambling on…..
Last week, my 6 year old and I played “library”.   We had money, a barcode scanner (DVD remote), are reference book (phone book), our library card, and books (public library which we frequent several times a week).   We had a blast!   Later I thought about all that she had accidentally learned,

Here is my list….

1) counting money (she hosted a book sale)
2) giving change
3) staying on a budget
4) alphabetizing
5) pricing
6) customer service

She learned how to do all of this and more by watching our librarian.   From a real life experience to imaginative play, I guess we are on a journey of unschooling.    To Him be the glory!

Puke...that's all.

I care for a sweet little baby during the day, he is adorable.  Eric is so sweet and gentle with him.  But the baby spits up a lot.  In fact he vomits very forcefully at times, so forcefully that it shoots out of his nose.  Yesterday morning one of the kids was holding the baby a little too close to Eric.  He said, "No!  Get him out of my face!  He will "reptile" vomit!"

Tornados & Cupcakes

Before I go any further, let me draw the whole picture...Church youth group: 8 six and seventh grade boys, 2 parents, a 6 year old big sister, 14 cupcakes, and Eric.  Wednesday is his favorite day of the week.  He LOVES-LOVES-LOVES having ALL of these boys to "hang" with.  Of course he thinks they are all here for him.  Well, you can imagine the prepubescent hormones flying through our pint size family room.  Eric can not handle chaos.  His brain holds enough chaos for a large,drunken bash.  So naturally he was freaking out.  I pulled him into his room for the seventh time in 40 minutes.  I was almost in tears.  So often I wonder why me?  Other times I wonder, why not me.  I know God chose me to be Eric's Mama before the beginning of time.  How I got to be his Mama is a whole other story.  This was definitely a why me moment!

Anyway, I layed down on his bed and rested my head on a pillow trying not to cry.  He told me he wanted a hat with a spinner on the top.  His random statement intrigued me, so I probed for more information.  He said, "I would jet pack all the way up and then chop into the top of the tornado".  His imagination floors me.  I know all kids have vivid imaginations but his is "working" at odd moments.  I mean, I had just pulled him by one arm out from under our coffee table and then obstacle coursed through a sea of preteen legs.  By the time I dodged his flailing arms and legs from breaking my nose or ripping a hole through the drywall, I was exhausted.  He was screaming, tears dripping, snot dripping.  But the moment I layed down on his bed he crawled up there and very calmly stated that he wanted a hat with a spinner on it. 

We have a 13 year old boy in our youth group that also has Aspergers.  He is an awesome kid and it has been fun to see him interact so well with the other boys.  He gives me hope.  So many times I have envsioned adulthood for Eric...would he ever live on his own, keep a job, have a wife?  

Now as I write this, he is curled up on my lap sound asleep, snoring.  The drugs knock him out. Sounds heartbreaking, doesn't it?  It is.  But that's a whole other story too.  An hour ago, I felt like Mike Tyson's loosing opponent just before knock out.  Now, I sit here reflecting on how terrifc this little gift God gave me is. He truly is a blessing!

Push Harder

No, unfortunately we are not talking about trying harder.  Well I guess in some way we are.  Eric was waiting oh soooo patiently for Renna to come out of the bathroom and resume playing with him (no, really, he was waiting patiently).  He waited and waited.  Finally I heard..."Renna, push harder!  It'll come out faster and you will be done sooner."  Well he's right, right?  Together they counted the "poops" when she was done.  The joys of homeschooling.  I can count that as a math lesson, right?!  Well, there you have it.