​Hello Readers!

I cannot believe it is nearly 2019. A lot of changes are heading this way for our family and I’ll share them in the coming posts, but for now, I want to really focus on starting the last leg of the school year with encouragement, strength, and focus. Something our family has surely lost sight of and desperately needs to regain. I’m sure you could use some of those positive vibes as well!
​
I’ll start this blog by saying this little disclaimer: in no way does “my way” equal the “best way”. Each parent has their own hardships and choices to make regarding their family. But I would like to share with you something I’ve learned very quickly, but unfortunately, not quick enough: technology and the “time suck”. 

Hello Readers, 
Thanks for stopping by. You know, I've been cleaning up the site a little bit and it occured to me that I've not been a very faithful blogger. I've failed to blog more than a handful of times this year and now, the year is nearly over. 

My New Year's Resolution (among several), is to be a better blogger. Not just in how I write, but in the content. You, the reader, deserve my best and I'm going to strive to give it to you. In doing so, I had to rediscover what it is about blogging that I enjoy... 

First, it's sharing! What I've learned during this crazy adventure in homeschooling
But it's also: 

family
organization
journaling
humor
encouragement
health
awareness
and of course... some hard truths. 

So, in order to do my best, I'm going to NOT focus on any one particular area, but simply, blog as I see (and feel) fit to do so. I found myself comparing my blogging skills with others. But then I realized, they may be hardcore bloggers because they are supplementing their income or, it may be their only income... 

But I am not a paid blogger. For one, I don't know the first thing about affiliates and sponsors, the hows, or whats of it... I just... Don't.

But I do know about what I enjoy, and that is all that I need to worry with. 

You may have noticed some changes to the site - it needed updating in the worst way! So I've changed the theme and added some new photos. I've also added a page counter at the very bottom - this lets me know what pages get the most views. Don't worry - I cannot see your IP at all... EVER!

To add a little flavor, I've asked Gia once again to host a blog series on the True Stories of Homeschool. You can find it under the Blog tab. She has families contacting her with real-life stories of homeschool families. All names and locations are omitted for privacy, but the stories are very real. She's just posted her first one, with more coming after the New Year begins. 

The winter newsletter is posted in the newsletter section - and if you missed an edition, feel free to find it there as well. 
If you want to sign up to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox, send us an email at [email protected].

As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions, ideas, concerns, or just want to chat! We love hearing from you! 

Until next time, 
​LaVonda

Dear Readers, 

How many times have you defended your choice to homeschool? Tons, right? You've gone through the whole spiel of why you chose to homeschool, your views on how it's better than (insert reason/scenario), and to what extent you adapt to the various methods of homeschooling that "works" for your kiddos. 

And that is fabulous! But what if you could do more? 
What if you could say, "Studies show" and it mean something? We place value on studies, right? We depend on the studies of medicine, studies of history, studies of all sorts of things. But what about Socialization? 

As homeschool parents, it is difficult to debate the issue of socialization because we don't know how well homeschool children perform at a social level? Of course, we know how our "own" children perform. But what do we say when we are asked to compare their performance to their public school counterparts? 

Well, honestly... not a whole lot. 

It's time to begin working on solidifying our argument that homeschool children perform equal to (or better than) their public school peers, regarding socialization and performativity. It's time to stop the incessant droning on of how homeschool children are less socialized. It's time to be a part of something we continue to fight for everyday... the right to homeschool in an oppression-free society. 

How? 

You voluneteer! 

I'm conducting interviews on the parental perspective of homeschooled children. This study is approved by the Arkansas State University Institutional Review Board. 

The interview is conducted over the telephone and your information is kept confidential. 
The interview is approximately 35 minutes long. 
You can end the interview at any time. 
You can skip any question you do not want to answer. 

All you have to do is send me an e-mail and get scheduled. 
Won't you help me?

Thanks, 
LaVonda
​