About me:
I’m a single mom of four pretty wonderful kids. There are days they make me crazy, yes, but the rest of the time, I remember just how lucky I am to have them in my life.
My fiance:
Jesse is a sweetheart, one of those trustworthy, reliable guys so rare in this day and age. He’s an amazing guy, taking on a single mom with four kids, and nothing seems to rattle him.
The kids:
Mike, age 16, 11th grade – This is his seventh year homeschooling. Hard to believe it’s been that long already. He was in the public grade school prior to coming home. He’s a Boy Scout, Life rank, a Brother member of Order of the Arrow. He likes cats, legos, cameras, art, video games… and dumb jokes that annoy mom.
Tyler, age 14, 9th grade- Tyler spent 6th thru 8th grade at home. He started his freshman year attending the local public high school, and we swapped that out in late October for a web academy (cva.org). So now he’s back at home, but technically a public school student.
Chris, age 12, 7th grade – Kindergarten was misery for this child. Square peg, round hole oversimplifies the situation. I pulled him out in February, halfway through kindergarten, and he suddenly flourished – and oh my, the troubles didn’t totally cease, but they were maybe 5% of what we were going through with the school. It was wonderful.
Chey, age 10, 5nd grade – My only girl. She’s never been in public school, though she did attend a full day Head Start daycare program for about three years. I’m glad I never subjected her to public school. She has a strong self-esteem, a kind character, communicates well with anyone her own age up to elderly, and wouldn’t be the same child if she’d had to deal with the petty cruelties of daily public school.
Our homeschool:
We’re eclectic, if you want a concise description. At least, I am, and it seems to work well for the kids. I have to say that eclectic is sort of a lifestyle around here, rather then just a homeschool style. With pretty much everything in life, I (literally or mentally) take what is, research it, gather it, examine it, then sort it out and keep what works.
Our location:
We’re right in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, near a town called Hood River. I was born and raised there – I’m actually 5th generation from the Hood River Valley. We’ve recently migrated to outside the city limits, with deer and quail and wild turkey for neighbors. Living in a rental right now, we’re daydreaming of someday owning a home of our own.
