How simple is homeschooling?

     For years, I have dreamed that maybe, maybe, one day... I would get the opportunity to homeschool my children. First, I would need to have children of course. Finally, the day came that I have my own little family; a new baby and the best bonus baby anyone could ask for. Only one problem... a new baby doesn't need to be homeschooled; and well, bonus baby is in school. Never did I ever, ever dream I would get the chance to actually homeschool my elementary-age bonus babe. 

Cue Covid...

Our story is not much different from anyone else's. Spending those first few weeks doing what we could to fill in the gap while everyone was at home. You know: reading books, watching educational shows, searching for educational and age-appropriate websites. Fun stuff. All the while, I was wondering what else I could do; what else we needed to do; if it was enough. And wondering if this was the closest I'd ever get to homeschooling. Little did I know, it was the beginning of doors opening for a long-forgotten heart's desire.

The following fall, virtual school was no tiny disaster. My Bonus was a typical kid- couldn't sit still in front of a computer to save his life. "Sit back down", "Are you paying attention?", and "What are you doing?" became his name. IT. WAS. AWFUL. It did nothing to cultivate any sort of good relationship between us. 

I wouldn't say I had fallen into the category of step-monster; but heaven knows I felt like it...

Now that's not to say that there weren't bright sides. We did get to do some traveling. We took an RV trip to Kentucky where my maternal grandfather hailed from. We spent the better part of a week touring around the tiny town that my mom went to high school in. From a few visits we made when I was a child, to now, about 30 years later; not much had changed. Sure, some of the shops had changed hands, names, wares and such; and there were some new constructions- but it is still the sleepy little town I recall from those trips. I'm sure, though that the difference from when my mom was a girl is stark. But I digress..

And we did have the freedom to take a couple of camping trips beginning on Thursday afternoon- and didn't have to miss school. (All thanks to wi-fi hotspots.)

But, it was still a test of my patience with the small one. 

The following fall of 2021, started out similar to the previous year with one exception; will the Little be sent back or can we do virtual again? Our school district was offering a sign-up for virtual students due to obvious (covid) reasons, but you had to sign up and within a window. which was done. 

The first day of school dawned, and I had girded my loins for a rough first virtual day with the Little.

Lo and behold, he had NOTHING on his school account for a sign in to a virtual classroom. I checked, double checked, triple checked, quadruple checked. NADA. I told my hubby, who called Little's momma. Somehow, down the pipline, balls were dropped and he was not enrolled in school for virtual, but for in-person. Not what parents wanted. Period.

So, after a few emails were exchanged with the administration of his school- we were officially on our homeschool journey. And I was at the helm.... oh boy...

But in truth, I was so damn excited. At last, I was getting a dream, nay, a prayer answered. 

I was officially a homeschool mom. 

What does he need to know? What is important milestones, and benchmarks the Little needs to reach?

Time to do some research... (that I had actually started during the summer...😁)