MOPS

This morning Luke played at Nicco and Colter's house (homeschooled kids around Luke's age) while the two girls and I went to MOPS or "Mops School" as Isabel calls it.  Every other Tuesday morning moms can get together, have brunch, a speaker, do a service project, socialize, etc. while our children are just down the hall, having storytime, playtime, etc.  I already have a great network of women and moms in my neighborhood and from my church, but with homeschooling, this is a great chance to have a few hours to be able to carry on a conversation without my children interrupting or eating my food.  As always, I loved it today and it was a good break for me. Afterward a woman approched me that had heard that I homeschool and wanted to know if I have a homeschooling group that I belong to.  I explained that I have a few women in my neighborhood that I do a few thing with, but no not really.  She said that the Hope Baptist Church (the MOPS meetings are held at a Hope Baptist Church here so a lot of women from MOPS attend there) has a group for homeschoolers that do feild trips etc.  I told her that would be great if she could email me and invite me along sometime.  Now here's the fun part:  We exchanged info on our children's ages and she made it very clear to me that even though her oldest is five, she is in first grade because she started Kindergarten with her last year and is way ahead.  Then she asked me what curriculum I use, I said none (which is kind of a lie because I use Math-U-See for our math.)  She acted a little shocked and confused (by what a bad parent I am I assume) and then said, "Oh, so you have your teaching degree?"  HAHAHAHA.  I guess somehow she would think it was okay that I don't use a curriculum as long as I have a teaching degree.  I said no and explained (which now I am so irritated that I felt like I had to explain myself to her) that my kids are so young and i haven't felt the need to use a curriculum.

Hey, maybe I misread her.  I am not offended and would be glad to join them on their homeschool group field trip or whatever (if she'll even email me now.)  BUT, I personally don't ask people what curriculum they use (unless I was looking into one and wanted some opinions) because I don't care.  I've run across a few homeschoolers that are very judgmental and will only be your friend if you use the same curriculum that they do.  Sounds silly, but I swear it's true!  People are weird.

After MOPS we went to the library (first time in a long time) and Luke was so excited to see what books we brought home for him.  I overheard Isabel reading a book to Sylvia.  Isabel reads great so long as she's not reading to me.  I think she feels a lot of pressure and then starts to doubt herself.  It makes me feel so bad and I swear I don't slap her wrist if she gets a word wrong or anything.  I told her that I love to hear her read but she doesn't ever have to read to me if she doesn't want to, so long as she enjoys reading in bed at night...which she does!

A Fellow Unschooler (or a fellow crazy)

This morning we went on a much needed Costco trip and then had a pot luck lunch at Kollen's house.  Many women came, kids all over the place and food galore!  It was great. During all of the commotion, I was able to talk with Andrea, a fellow home schooler.  She started home schooling this last year when I did, but we haven't gotten together very often.  I confessed to her that I only have a math curriculum and everything else is whatever we want to learn or think up.  She said that math is the only subject that she has a curriculum for as well.  Most home schoolers that I've run into use curriculum for most subjects and so it really made me feel at ease that Andrea is teaching her children in a very unschoolish way as well.  I know I shouldn't look to other people to validate the way I teach my children, but I must admit, seeing that Andrea teaches similarly to the way I do made me feel not so crazy.  Or maybe I just found a fellow crazy.

I also met a woman who has two girls the same ages as mine.  When it came out that I home school and she mentioned that she had thought about doing that I really encouraged her.  Her girls are very bright it is apparent that she was doing a great job home schooling them before her oldest daughter started Kindergarten this school year.  On a selfish note: More home schoolers in my neighborhood means more of a support group for me and more friends during school hours for my kids!

Tonight we will do some school stuff at the kitchen table while we make cupcakes for tomorrow's Leap Day Party.