Weird Homeschooling Mormon!

*Warning! It's LONG!!

So, I've ventured into unknown territory. Somewhere I never thought I'd be. Well, not the weird part, or the Mormon part. I've always been those. Just the homeschooling part. Somewhere I plan on staying!! And I figure now that I'm committed, I should share it all with you. My name is Amber Gunter and I'm a WHM! In my head that stands for Weally Hot Momma! But in reality, I'm just a Weird Homeschooling Mom. And I love it!

Our choice to become homeschoolers came about with my kicking and screaming. Walter always wanted us to homeschool, but I didn't think I could do it. If my kids are anything like me, it wouldn't work! You see, my mom tried to teach me some things at home. Like, how to cook, make chocolate, make freezer jam, play the piano, can, etc. I had no desire to learn from her. I was convinced that those were things I didn't want to do and would just live forever with her so she could do them for me. Well, guess what? I love to do all those things, and everyday I find myself wanting to be more like my mom. I just wish she lived closer so she could teach me.

Anyway, I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to teach my kids. But guess what? We are learning together and having SO MUCH FUN!! How did I go from kicking and screaming to loving it? Let me tell you. There was a lot of blood sweat and tears. OK, maybe just the latter 2...thankfully! OK, now here is how we got here.

Last summer I was going back and forth as to what we were going to do for school in the Fall. I didn't realize they had Pre K out here at the public school, so I did Joy School with some other moms from church the year before. It was fun. Then I heard about PreK in our area and that it was ALL DAY!! I was in shock! I couldn't imagine sending my 4 yr old away all day. I mean, she is the one that helps me! She is very impressionable! She needs her mommy! Then it came time for Kindergarten. They changed the boundary for our school so it was no longer all day PreK, but Kindergarten is all day here! SERIOUSLY!! I don't think I'm in UTAH anymore!! So at the last minute, as in 2 weeks before school started, I decided Grady needed some personal mom time and enrolled both Winni (all day Kindergarten) and Trae (1/2 day PreK) in school. They were to ride the bus to and from school. But when I learned that the bus would pick Winni up at 710 AM and she would have breakfast at school I decided I would take her. Luckily my good friend Stacey offered to drive her for me. It was really a blessing. My kids aren't even up at that hour, let alone dressed and out the door.

Winni and Trae both loved their teachers. I really liked them, too. I just didn't love that they got my kids all day. I had a hard time with the idea that I was sending my kids to school, well rested and happy and they came home exhausted and cranky. And then I had to do homework with them. It really strained my relationships with them. Winni started asking me to pick her up from school. Actually, she started demanding it. Trae would still ride the bus home, but Winni would come home with me. Something was going on and she was begging me to hold her tighter. One day I was late getting to the school to pick her up so they put her on the bus. I got there before the bus left and she saw me and ran off the bus crying. My heart was broken! Then she started asking me to homeschool her. I was a little shocked. She has great friends at school, was learning a lot and loved her teacher, but she wanted to be home. I personally believe that something was going on either at school or on the bus that was scaring her or making her feel unsafe. Or maybe she just knew I needed something like this so that I would do what I knew I was supposed to do. My little girl was changing, she was getting quiet, angry, and very tired. We decided that we would let her and Trae finish out the semester and then we would bring them home. Let me tell you, their last day of school was really hard on me. I cried when I rode with Stacey to take her to school, I cried all day, I cried when I picked her up, I cried the day before, and the day after. One lady from church asked me if somebody had died! You would think so. But really, someone was coming back to life. I knew in my heart that homeschooling was right for my family like I had known nothing so strongly before. I had never felt so right about anything in my life, except for marrying Walter. It was that strong! And that emotional! I was terrified and excited. I was unprepared and ready for anything. All I knew was that I had my kids at home with me and God would guide the rest.

So, we started after New Years. I can't say I didn't question myself, cause I did, a lot! But somehow we have figured things out and continue on. I let Trae play for the rest of the year. If he wanted to join us in Math, he did. We focused on Math and Reading for Winni and all the other subjects just happened in life. It was great. I got to see the a-ha moments in my children's lives. We had so much fun! Everything we did counted as educational. Now this year has started. I've got Winni in 1st Grade

 

and Trae in Kindergarten.

 

We are trying to stay close to the TJEd philosphy as much as I feel comfortable. My goal is to teach my kids how to be whole people! To teach them how to give back to society. To be contributors. To know how to care for themselves and others. That is my top priority right now. You know, to teach them to be more like me! :) I also want to play with my kids. To learn through play and to have a good time doing it! When my daughter is laughing hysterically during Math, I think we are off to a good start!

AWESOME ACADEMY is IN SESSION!!