Our decision for public school...

Jason and I struggled with what to do for school. All the options we looked at had pros and cons. Private school was appealing, but there was no way we could afford it. There are many things we liked about home schooling. Yet I had doubts. Public school, well that's just a melting pot for all things evil... right?

With private school not an option it was home school or public. Which meant home school. For Jason in particular. I was still unsettled about it. My requirement for my self was that if we were going to home school the girls must meet the same requirements that children in school were held to. Could I do that? I was already having a difficult time just keeping up with my daily responsibilities and three small children.

The other issue we were running into was Jenna's birthday held her back a year in school. I believed she could handle it academically but emotionally? Was she ready to handle the social pressures she would face? Another reason home schooling was appealing.

We decided to home school So I started researching different curriculum's. I found one I fell in love with, Sonlight. It gave me a daily schedule, everything I would need was included and it was Literature based. We would be reading great classics as well as fun modern stories. We were looking at artwork by Monet and Van Gogh to learn about the different seasons. It was the first thing that actually made me a little excited about home schooling. Until we started...

Both Jenna and I liked the work, especially the read alouds. But I was finding it extremely challenging to keep Norah occupied while Jenna and I worked. Add an infant and I was stressed. Norah would end up watching TV so Jenna and I could get whatever we could done before Leia needed me. It was very hard. And I noticed it was causing strife between Jenna and I. There were things I knew she knew but she would take forever to do. Or she'd complain that she couldn't do it when she'd just done it the day before. It was frustrating. Yet I really felt strongly that we needed to persevere and finish out the year.

Half way through December Jason accepted a job that would be relocating us to Nashville TN. As we started planning for the move we re evaluated everything. We knew that Jason would be moving ahead of us. And that the girls and I would be moving to a temporary location until our house sold. Jason was aware of how challenging the home schooling was for me. He encouraged me to pack it up. If we found a house in a good school district we'd enroll her in public school. If not we would attempt home schooling again. I was relieved!

Public school still concerned us. There were so many unknowns. Jason had been all through public school. He had concerns, but he also knew what to expect. I was home schooled. I didn't even know how to prepare her for school.

I spent a lot of time talking with moms who had sent their children to school as well as friends who were teachers. They all encouraged me to be involved. Get to know the teacher and the other students. Be proactive about talking with Jenna and asking her questions about what was going on in school. One person encouraged me that no matter where we sent Jenna to school she was going to be okay because of who Jason and I are as parents. God used that to bring me peace. We are going to be involved with the girls education no matter how they are educated, public, private or home school. Our challenge is to keep that open dialog. To be constantly finding ways to get her to communicate with us what is going on.

We moved forward with looking for a house. I still had moments where I worried about sending her to public school. It took us longer then we thought to find a house. It seemed as though everything we pursued just would not work out for one reason or another. And for a while it looked like we might be home schooling. Until God provided the house we are currently renting. I was starting to get anxious when I found out schools start here several weeks before they do in MD. At that point we had less then a month to find a house, move and prepare for school. I was stressed! Yet God always provides, I don't know why I lose sight of that. Jason found a house in a great school district. Two weeks later we were moving and a week after that Jenna started school.

I am so happy with Jenna's school! Her teacher has been amazing. She's been teaching for over thirty years. I cannot believe how much Jenna has learned in the two months she's been in school! She already knows more then she learned in the four months we were home schooling. Jenna has been sick this week so I stopped by school to pick up some things for her to work on. Her teacher spent time talking with me about Jenna and the class, even gave me a hug before I left. She encouraged me that Jenna has been making huge improvements in controlling her social tendencies as well as completing her work well.

As I look back I can see how despite my fears God was directing us where we were to be. Home schooling didn't work for us for a reason. Don't know why. But I am thankful for where we are now. I am seeing maturity in Jenna that I might not have seen if she hadn't been placed where she is. I have also been able to spend more time with Norah. And I'm noticing things in her behavior that need to be addressed. I might have overlooked that if we were home schooling.

I don't know what will happen next year. I want to hold everything about the girls schooling loosely. God may call us to something else in the future and I want to be willing to do whatever He asks. Despite my fears about what the outcome may be.