Not your typical HS Family

We are not your "typical" HOMESCHOOL family.  Nope.  Of course, not much about us is typical.  I mean, we are large sized people who eat kinda crunchy, we ride motorcycles, bicycles, and enjoy the History Channel.  But the most untypical, in fact you might call us atypical, thing about us....  we Homeschool an Only, (as it was explained to us).

Oh yes, we are that "unique" breed of homeschooler that only has one child.  Not only that, but we homeschool that child and tend to be very child led at this point.  I know a few other onlys that homeschool locally so I  never gave it a whole passel of thought.  I can think of a handful just within our local homeschool group, in fact.

It didn't become overly apparent to me that we offer a unique perspective and niche until I was at the homeschool convention and so many vendors would extol the virtues of their curriculum adding that the cost could be weighed out over several years as we used it (or components of it) with each successive child.  Um, God thus far, has deemed to make us parents of ONLY ONE bright inquisitive Bear.  It generally caused for a pause when we explained we were just homeschooling our daughter.  We would then be asked, is she your ONLY?  The word would be stressed ever so slightly with a question left unsaid and by it being unsaid it spoke volumes. 

When we started down this road I knew most people had multiple children that homeschooled, I mean it stands to reason.  Society is full of families with multiple children.  I am from such a family, being the oldest of three.  But, we're different from the majority, we are a bit of an anomaly.  The Hubs is an Only and we are raising an Only.  This isn't our dream or the ideal we had planned for our daughter, but its the path God has set before us.  Most blogs written are about families with more than one child.  Sadly,  even cousins aren't a huge factor in our child's life.  She knows she has them, but her friends are closer to her.  That being said, I know my daughter is missing out on the unique relationships siblings can have.  The "I don't like you for stealing my XYZ. But I will defend you within an inch of my life" syndrome is unknown.  It's not something my husband has experience in either.  I had that growing up.  A deep love for my brothers that is hard to explain.  Regardless of what they do, where they go, who they do it with, I will ALWAYS love them.  They are forever a part of who I am.  Nothing anyone can say or do will ever change that.  The baggage each of us carries, good and bad, includes our sibling relationships.  Those relationships shape us, make us who we are....

 I digress.....

 We homeschool an Only.  We are unique, we parents that have one child and homeschool; and we can offer a different prospective on the homeschool experience.  It allows for a lot of different avenues to be explored, but it offers a lot of unique challenges as well.  So this year we begin Kindergarten and continue on in our 2nd year of child led homeschooling adventures.  Join us in the months ahead as we share and learn together.

Plans, topics, and goals for 2012-2013

• Write our letters
• Write our numbers (1-20)
• Count to 50 and work on counting by 5's and 10's (to work on telling time next year)
• Work on lacing and tying
• Simple math from living skills
• Education from the counter study 
• Explore Right Start Math concepts--still really weighing it all and deciding if I want to purchase it this year or wait one more year to start formal math.
• Bible Studies ( incorporating a new book I bought about tea parties too, and using those lessons to work on our major theme... and manners)
• Using the Bible for some Science lessons as well
• Bible Buster Club on Wednesday evenings when we are able to attend
• Social Skills--sharing, being kind, listening, etc.
• Arts and Crafts (will kind of go with below as well)
• Somehow I will work into our various activities raft building (we did it last year and had so much fun!) and making our own bow and arrow.  We may explore other ancient "hunting" skills as well as part of our history and nature skills goals.
• and, this year's major THEME is:  We Are Known By Our Actions.

A sample of some of the books we will be utilizing to help in our studies:

• Real Science for Kids --Chemistry
• Explode the Code
• Bob Books
• Light and the Glory
• Bible
• Science is Simple
• Fun with Nature
• Nature Connection
• Edible Plants of the Northwest
• Art Ideas and Art Treasury (both are Usborne books)
• Rosetta Stone/German Level 1
• GAMES!

a small sample of some books I plan to use this year.... 

Looking forward to our lessons and another year of learning and exploring!  So pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea and enjoy the ride with us....