Homeschool Moms :: An Interview with Apryl

I'm excited to share this weeks interview from Mrs. Apryl Barnes, a longtime family friend and veteran homeschool mom. I hope you enjoy Mrs. Apryl's encouragement and family stories as much as I did! 

 
How many children do you have and what are their names and current ages?
I have two daughters, Julia Ruth Townsend Barnes Allen, age 30; and Carly Sharane Barnes Tumlinson, age 28.

Have your children always been homeschooled or have they at some point attended a private or public school?
Julia attended public school until the middle of third grade and Carly attended until the middle of kindergarten.

How many years of homeschooling experience do you have total?
Gary (my husband) and I homeschooled for fourteen years.

Tell me a little bit about your decision to homeschool. 
We had considered homeschooling even before we had children. When it came time for Julia to “go to school,” we didn’t know anyone else homeschooling. During the next three years we became acquainted with a family who homeschooled. We began making plans to homeschool for fourth and first grades. December of Julia’s third grade year and Carly’s kindergarten year we were planning to go to Arkansas over Christmas to visit family.  We were going to need more time than the school vacation was so I went to the school to talk with the principal. I told her we would be taking the girls out early to go to Arkansas.  Her response was that she would “see if it was alright” for us to do that.  What?? See if it was okay? These were OUR children, not the system’s!  So we decided then that they were not going back to public school. We had to rush getting our books, but we did.  God is faithful!

Tell me what your average homeschool day looked/looks like.
Since Gary works 7 and 7, we had a flexible schedule as far as where we schooled. We are outdoor people, and we love camping.  So as often as possible we went camping on Gary’s days off.  The school books went with us. They also went with us on our visits to Arkansas. But a typical day at home was I would get up at six, do my devotions, then write out my lesson plans for the day.  I used ABeka so it was pretty well spelled out for me. The girls got up around eight, made their beds and ate breakfast.  Then we started the day.  We usually schooled about 3 hours per day.

How did/do you balance managing a home and homeschooling your children?
Well, I had two girls so I think it was probably a little easier homeschooling than with boys.  And, of course, more children would have taken more of my time. But I had plenty of time after schooling them to do my housework. The girls had chores as well.  I did sit with them and work with them the whole time they schooled. I think now many people do videos so they are able to do their housework while the children are schooling. I wanted to know what they were doing, so I taught them myself.

What was/is your greatest joy as a homeschool mom?
My greatest joy was having them home with me and knowing that I was doing what God wanted me to do.

What was/is your greatest challenge as a homeschool mom?
Well…..my greatest challenge was Carly!!  (Hehehe)  She did not like school and wanted to make us laugh all the time – which she did!! But we made it through, and she is now a great mom and wife and also works part-time as a hairstylist.  Oh, and she plans on homeschooling her little boy!

How did/does your personality influence your homeschool?
I like order and schedule so everything pretty much went on a schedule when we were home.  I was not a drill sergeant, but I was pretty close!  (Hehe)  But we were very relaxed when Gary was home.  I remember one time I was away for the day and Gary was in charge of schooling.  When I came back they were all sitting in the living room making up “hick” names for everyone in our family.  Julia was “Polly Esther,” Carly was “Bubbaette Juniorette,”  Gary was “Bubba,” I was “Scaberina Bruisella (Scabby Bruises for short because I always have bruises. I am so uncoordinated), and their favorite uncle was “Uncle Himalaya Roid” (can you guess why?  Haha). Anyway, I say all that to say that Gary’s personality is different from mine, and he liked to play more than school! Which was great because children need to have fun too! 

If you could give one word of encourage to a new homeschool mom, what would it be?
There is NOTHING like knowing you are doing what is best for your child.  Every day is not perfect but YOU are in charge of your child, not a government institution. You can teach them what you know is right and not have to worry about them learning about things they are way to young to know.  YOU get to shape their personalities. YOU get to teach them about our wonderful and loving heavenly Father. Their role model will be YOU, not the kids at school. If I could do it all over again I would in a heartbeat. I loved homeschooling. I loved having my family with me 24/7. (Oops I guess that was more than one word!!)  May God bless all of you as you do what is the right thing for your precious gifts from Him!

Thanks, Mrs. Apryl!!

Homeschool Moms :: A Interview with Cheryl

I don't know about you, but when I venture out into uncharted territory I look to the guidance and advice of others who have gone before me and can encourage me along my journey. For instance, when I became a wife, I was desperate to talk to other Godly women who had been married longer than I had-- women who could encourage me in my new role as a wife. When I became a mom, I longed to sit and chat with other Godly moms who had already experienced the ages and stages of childhood that I was navigating my way through. Now that I am venturing into the homeschooling waters, I've been seeking encouragement from other homeschool moms who have seen success schooling their children at home. 

With the introduction of a new set of educational standards in the public school system, many parents are considering alternative schooling options for their children. From what I have seen and heard there is a growing interest in homeschooling as a viable option. The problem is, many parents don't know what to expect or where to start. For that reason, I thought a blog series on homeschooling would be timely.

I've collected several interviews from veteran homeschool moms that I'll be sharing over the course of the next several weeks. My hope is that they will be an encouragement to newbie homeschool moms or those who are considering homeschooling.

Today's interview is from my greatest mentor, example, and encourager-- my beautiful mom! My mom successfully homeschooled me and my siblings over the course of.... well, I'll let her tell you! Enjoy!

From left to right: Husband Joe, Grandson Liam, Son-in-Law Kevin, Daughter Beth, Cheryl, Grandson Silas, Son Luke, Daughter-in-Law Sarah, Daughter Sara, Son Eric, Daughter-in-Law Brittany

  
How many children do you have, and what are their names and current ages?
I have four children: Beth (31), Luke (28), Eric (25), and Sara (21).

Have your children always been homeschooled, or have they at some point attended a private or public school?
I began homeschooling when Beth began the fourth grade and Luke was entering Kindergarten. Beth had attended public school for grades K-3rd. My other three children were homeschooled only.

How many years of homeschooling experience do you have total?
I homeschooled for a grand total of 20 years!

Tell me a little bit about your decision to homeschool.
I decided to homeschool because of my salvation. I wanted to be the main source of influence in the lives of my children. I also wanted them to have Bible classes included in their curriculum and knowledge about the world from a Biblical perspective.

Tell me what your average homeschool day looked/looks like. 
I like routine, and I think children like it to--everyone on the same page. We tried to begin our day at the same time everyday and usually ended by lunch time. This left us plenty of time in the afternoon for seatwork, homework, or study time for a test. We followed the public school calendar so the children could have the same days off as friends. We also had the option to take days off when necessary or just for fun. 

How did/do you balance managing a home and homeschooling your children?
I think I balanced home and family fairly well. I did most major housework on Saturdays and kept things up on a daily basis. I could not do all in a day, but whatever I could do I did. Cooking and laundry could be done after everyone was in place for school. I kept lunch meals simple and planned weekly. We had TACO TUESDAYS and FISH STICK FRIDAYS, etc. My husband, Joe, was helpful to. He helped with the children whenever possible. 

What was/is your greatest joy as a homeschool mom?
My greatest joy in homeschooling was being able to spend the day with my children. Because we had our own battles as new Christian parents, we grew along with our children. There were rough times, but I believe our children knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we loved them and wanted what was best for them. 

What was/is your greatest challenge as a homeschool mom?
My greatest challenge in homeschooling was focusing so much on my children that I neglected my personal time with God. I think a lot of my harder days would have gone better had I spent time with God first.

How did/does your personality influence your homeschool?
I am a teacher at heart! I was a public school teacher before salvation. I love children, but I do know that part of loving is discipline. I balance the two well, and in return, I think I get respect.

If you could give one word of encourage to a new homeschool mom, what would it be?
Persevere in God's Word!! In due season, if you do not grow weary in well-doing, you will reap! I am reaping! Twenty years later, I am reaping!

Thanks, Mom!!

Keeping a Toddler Busy While Homeschooling {Creating a Discovery Box}

One of our biggest challenges since starting to homeschool Silas has been keeping our little Liam busy when we're in the middle of focused learning. Liam is used to having his brother and Mama at his disposal during the day, so it's taking him a little more time to get used to the structure that we've added to our mornings. Although sitting him in front of the TV is an option, I don't want to enforce those habits. Liam does watch TV on occasion, but I prefer him to be exploring and discovering more at his age.

Yesterday we had a pretty rough morning. I was trying to keep Silas' attention while Liam squirmed around in my lap, knocking down books and throwing supplies. He wouldn't play independently with his toys, and he wouldn't sit still long enough to participate in an activity. I could tell he wanted my attention and was almost competing with Silas for it. I'm was trying not to let his behavior get to me, but it was hard not to become flustered. 

We fumbled around all morning and finally got through our learning material for the day, but I knew I needed to think this arrangement through if we were going to continue on successfully. My wonderful hubby agreed to take the boys out for the afternoon so I could regroup. I did a little online reading to gather ideas and advice from other moms. My reading led me to go on a little scavenger hunt around the house to see what supplies I had available to create a discovery box for Liam, which is basically a box of random materials that he can play with and discover new ways to use them. Fortunately I had plenty materials on hand and didn't have to spend a penny!

Liam's Discovery Box all set to go.

Here are the simple supplies I gathered for Liam's Discovery Box:

1 :: Wooden Beads & Pipe Cleaners (for threading beads onto the pipe cleaners)
2 :: Ice Cube Tray & Empty Oatmeal Carton with a hole cut through the top (for sorting the wooden beads when he gets bored of threading them)
3 :: Homemade Play Dough & Popsicle Sticks (for creating play dough porcupines and other strange creatures)
4 :: Painter's Tape (I haven't met a kid yet who doesn't like tape!)
5 :: Magnets (for sticking on the fridge, a cookie sheet, or any other magnetic surface he can find)
6 :: Clothes Pin Color Matching (similar to this one, but using an empty oatmeal carton instead).
7 :: Spray Bottle of Water & Towel (for spraying and wiping down the kitchen cabinets, an activity Liam finds quite entertaining)
8 :: Chalk Board & Paint Brushes (for painting the chalkboard with water).
9 :: Puzzles (I try to keep them somewhat educational to help with learning shapes and colors).

Notice there are NO extremely messy activities involved! I can't be worrying about cleaning while Liam is busy discovering. I chose activities that would make for easy clean up.

My plan is to pull one activity at a time out of the box and let Liam go at it until he loses interest. As time permits and as his development allows, I hope to add other activities to the box to keep him engaged. Pinterest has TONS of ideas.

Oh yeah, and because I had the house to myself for the afternoon I channeled my inner crafty Mama (she very rarely makes an appearance) and made Liam a little train out of some cardboard boxes and a jump rope!

Train made out of a cardboard box and a jump rope.

Last night the boys and I decorated the train to give it a little more "track appeal." The boys gave all of their stuffed animals train rides and had a blast.

Decorating the train.

Almost ready to ride!

I'm quite hopeful that Liam will take an interest in his new discovery box! I'll update soon!

Are you homeschooling with a toddler underfoot? What are you best tips for keeping your toddler busy?

{Linking up with The Better Mom, Growing Home Blog, Time Warp Wife, & Cornerstone Confessions}

An Update on Liam

There are certain defining moments in every parent's journey--moments that really don't need to be recorded with pen and paper because no amount of years can erase them from a parent's memory. I think of the stories my late grandmother used to tell of the events surrounding my dad's premature birth and early struggles with cerebral palsy. I think of my own mother's retelling of the time I had an allergic reaction to ant bites as a baby and was swollen beyond recognition.

Not all memorable experiences, of course, are negative; but there is nothing like an emergency medical situation involving your own child to carve deep, long-lasting memories into your brain.

Many of you already know about the emergency situation we experienced with Liam three nights ago. Liam had a seizure, which was triggered by a breath holding spell while he was crying. It was an extremely uncertain and highly stressful situation for both Kevin and me. Seeing our baby boy stiff and unresponsive for nearly 10 minutes felt like an eternity. Watching his limp, exhausted body try to recover over the course of several hours following the seizure left us with questions about the lasting effects of the episode.  

Liam (and Mama's) first ambulance ride (to Children's Hospital)

 

Getting prepped for his EEG

Thanks be to God, there are no lasting effects to speak of. Liam woke up the next morning with his usual cheeky smile and request to watch morning cartoons. I breathed a sigh of relief and offered up prayers of thanksgiving. Hours later all test results came back normal, and we headed home.

The day following the seizure, Liam was his normal, happy self.

On the drive home my entire body felt sore, as if I had been exercising. As the tension finally released, I felt the physical effects that this event had had on my own body. I couldn't help but think... these are not the types of moments that I envisioned or prepared for before having children of my own. And even if I would have tried, I could have never truly prepared for the emotional fortitude, mental stamina, and physical endurance required to nurture and care the little souls placed in our care. I am so thankful for the pouring out of God's grace during difficult and uncertain times such as these. I have a feeling this experience will live on in my memory for many, many years to come. 

Playing with the new trucks given to him by Children's Hospital while waiting to be discharged.

We are also thankful for all of the prayers and support from family and friends during the last few days.

We are extremely blessed, a bit tired, and looking forward to a uneventful week ahead :)