Traditional school is starting this week in my city.  All of the school supplies have been on sale at all of the stores, the lunches are being packed, the backpacks are getting ready,  andthe yellow school buses are coming, but my child is not going to be on it.  See, my husband and I made the choice to explore homeschooling our children two years ago now and we have fallen in love with being their primary educators.  Since then we have learned so much in our home together, about our faith, our family and a lot about our world.  Our son has started to learn how to read, how to count and a lot of other wonderful skills.  But this year is different.  This year is very different because, although we have kind of been on this journey of homeschooling for the past few years, this is the first year that our son would be getting on that big bus and going to school.  He would be starting Kindergarten this week, and that simple fact makes all of this seem very BIG!

My husband and I still have no big concerns with either public or private education.  We have received both types of education ourselves in our past and both had many positive experiences.  More than anything we feel very called to homeschool and that it is best for our family right now.  We are very open to always exploring our options for each individual child each year as we continue on this journey.

All I know is this year, I am so happy to be where we are.  I am so happy that our children are thriving at home and that they are surrounded every day by the love and support of family.  I am happy that we live in a town with a fantastic homeschool community where our children have made and spend time with wonderful friends with fantastic activities.  I am so happy that our children love learning, and the way that homeschooling has become truly a way of life in our family that they don’t understand why they wouldn’t do school on a Saturday.  I am so happy that God continues to give me the graces to be called to this vocation as not only their mother but also their teacher.

So this year as that school bus passes each day I will pray to God to bless our family on this homeschooling journey.  I will pray for God to bless me with patience, love and guidance, and for our children to be blessed with a love for God, a love for each other and a love for learning.  I also keep all of you in my prayers as well as the new school year is starting and that you are adjusting to new schedules either in traditional school or homeschooling!