Turns Out That There Is Room For More In The Parker Academy.

So, after much deliberation and discussion, we have decided to homeschool Lizzie and Antwan, too!

I wrote a really long and wordy blog about how it all went down. But, then I re-read it and realized that it was boring. haha. So, here’s the upshot. Brian and I talked to each other. And, we talked to Antwan, Lizzie, and William. Lizzie and Antwan really wanted to home school. Antwan’s main reason were that he wanted to spend more time with his family. Lizzie didn’t have a specific reason and mostly parroted Antwan’s reasons. Although, I suspect her main reason is that she knows that William scored a lot of lunches with Grandma and Grandpa, last year. 🙂 And William was fine with it, but legitimately worried that it would be harder to focus. (I assured him that they would be doing work, too.) Then we promised that Daddy and I would think about it.

So, then, Brian and I went back to talking. Then I took the kids to their orientation, then they stood firm that they wanted to home school. Then Brian and I talked some more.

There was a lot of whining and begging…mostly from me. 😉 And, a lot of valid and logical concerns and questions expressed…mostly from Brian. But, in the end, I really, really wanted to try it and Brian and I have yet to talk to anyone who regretted home schooling. So, on Saturday night with school starting on Monday, we decided to try it.

Cutting it as close as possible, I told Antwan and Lizzie on Sunday night.

And, when I went in the room and told them. They smiled and cheered. Antwan leaned over and gave me a big hug and said “Thank you, Mommy.” That’s when I knew that it was the right thing.

Then there was Kaleb. Initially, I wanted to home school him as I ran with my emotions and ABC Family vision of how wonderful it would be. But, Brian made some valid points about Kaleb’s need for structure and his apathy towards school work. The concern that we would butt heads was a real one. Or that I’d spend so much time trying to get him to do his work that I would neglect the others. So, in the end, we agreed that Kaleb would go to public school (at least, for now). My biggest concern was that he’d feel rejected. So, as we explained the situation to him, I kept hugging and saying sentimental things. That probably annoyed him more. 😉 But, he took it better than I thought he would. He wasn’t thrilled and delighted with the info. But, there it was.

So, one awkward conversation with Kaleb later combined with a promise of monthly Mommy and Kaleb dates to offset and one happy conversation with Lizzie and Antwan, it was official.

I got up, the next morning, and only sent one kid off to school, took a “field trip” to the UPS store to fax in homeschooling paperwork, and got William started on his work.

Faxing off letter of intent (to home school) forms!

A few days later, William is back in the groove with his classes and Lizzie and Antwan are enjoying another week of summer because their elementary virtual school program doesn’t start until next week. This means I am coming up with work for them. Admittedly, sometimes, that work involves walking a dog. 😉