Little Victories!

 

My Aunt teaching my daughter to sew!

Yesterday we were able to pay for my daughter's dance, sewing lessons and my son's piano lessons. Sounds small? By no means is this a small accomplishment within this household. Let me explain...

My husband and I have chosen the path of entrepreneurship this past year has been a roller coaster ride as we attempt to navigate our way through our financial obligations, raising a family and opening two separate businesses. So for us to be able to say we paid for lessons, our lights, gas, water, and other bills are paid for is truly a miracle to us though it may appear to be a little victory to some.

My son with his piano instructor - Mrs. H.



I read once that a small sign of success is to celebrate the little victories!! So this is what we are doing -- it has been through HUGE amounts of faith and work we have gotten to this point. We are thankful and know from whom our blessings come. So as we continue to strive for survival in the midst of our "urban homeschooling" I will continue to blog....

Finding Balance

Sometimes its just too much!! One of the comments I always hear when I say we homeschool our children is how much patience I must have to do this. I really have to laugh inside because there are days when I just know we are all going to either kill each other, die of exhaustion or no one is ever going to learn a thing! It is at these times I have learned to BREATHE.

It is our goal to create a holistic learning environment for all our children. This can be more than a challenge for a number of reasons. The biggest challenge being limited financial resources... in other words being BROKE. The harsh reality is in the fast paced ever changing twenty first century money is a prerequisite to achieving a well rounded education. I don't just mean as far as academically but exposure to diverse people, arts, ways of life. I really think this is lacking in most urban lifestyles. Traditionally people raised in urban areas are not comfortable in more than one environment and fail to thrive or grow outside their limited view of the world. We seek balance...

America is this great melting pot but we are at a point in our history where class really does dictate your exposure to the richness that is "America". We press on... seeking out and finding different (affordable) avenues in which to expand our understanding. It is much more important to us that our children are able to be themselves, know their values and feel comfortable in any setting than have memorized the multiplication table by the age of eight. We seek balance...

In doing so it is easy to get overwhelmed by overscheduled days and academic goals. All we can do is take it one day at a time... stick to our core values and hope for more time the next day. In all that we do we strive for balance and perspective....

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving" ~ Albert Einstein

So even when it seems we are not so balanced and things get a bit overwhelming we keep going knowing and trusting that we will regain our balance. I am by no means saying we have achieved this balance but I have confidence we are headed in the right direction until then I'll just keep blogging!!

Our son...



I just read an article entitled, "Wake Up Everybody: To Save Black Boys" by James Ewers. It's basically a call to action letting everyone know that traditional institutions of learning are not geared or even concerned with the overall welfare of the average black male. While it is not the overall responsibility of these institutions to raise our children it is common knowledge that left to their own devices these places are not the most holistic or healthy learning environment for our boys. Yet another reason I am thankful for the opportunity to homeschool.

In an attempt to prolong and preserve as much of the creativity and openness my son exudes in his daily interactions we homeschool with the understanding that he is a unique and valuable person not only to us but the world. We are raising him with no limits ~ no presumptions ~ no prejudices to his potential. He is growing and learning at a pace that works for him.

Every day I marvel at the creative and loving nature of my nine year old son. He is my only son and growing up much too fast (for me anyway). I read the studies and statistics that talk about the plight of the urban black male... it distresses me to know that he will someday be looked at as something other than the imaginative and versatile person he is. He does not fit into the box and/or categories America groups young black men into. It is my hope he never will.

I know this is a little chaotic in context but today was just another day he amazed me with something as simple as retelling yet another dream.... keep dreaming son.... keep dreaming...

Isn't the Library supposed to have books?



Here's an interesting dilemma we have been met with upon moving back to Gary. The library, a homeschoolers' resource haven, seems to be in this city more like a time consuming, mind numbing, scavenger hunt! Sounds silly but if only you knew how wonderful the library can be to homeschoolers. It is a place full of free books and resources, a great meet up for other like minded people and a nice change to a school day. This was my previous experience with public libraries but that has drastically changed.

My nine year old is not the most ecstatic reader so I always try to find books that he will absolutely love to pique his interest. This often involves an internet search resulting in a list of 5-7 books. We take this list to the library prepared to pick his absolute favorite only to find... the library only has 1 off our entire list -- and that is if we are lucky. It usually takes about 1-24 hours for them to locate a specific book if they find it all! This can be a very frustrating experience!!

I also find the institution’s DVD rental policy a bit much. An educational video is $1.00 per video with no exception and a 3 day rental time limit. That is crazy in my opinion!! I realize I am in the "inner city" and some things are more costly due to the tendencies of some people to steal, vandalize, modify, etc. but really?? Educational videos?? Not to mention the limited amount of videos available at my local library. It is quite depressing... The "educational" videos deal with topics such as "Dealing with Depression", "Just Say No", "Coping with Divorce" and more enlightening topics. No Schoolhouse Rock, no Bill Nye, nothing like that in my library. The books that are on display when you enter the Children's Department are just as narrow in scope -- books on such positive African-American role models as Jay-Z, Raven Simone, Rhianna, etc. are the first things kids see when they enter the room. I understand that may be what a lot of kids know but shouldn't the library seek to bring them to higher degrees of learning and knowledge? Provide them with the means to learn, be, and think of something outside their limited worldly scope?

However, we will continue to utilize what is available and request books/resources that can actually prove academically and classically enriching to the holistic learning environment we are trying to obtain. No matter how long it may take we shall press on and as these things occur I will continue to share them with you so... Let's BLOG!

Haman in a "Pimp Suit"

©VeggieTales: Esther, the Girl Who Became Queen (2000)

I'd like to start this post by saying that my husband and I try our best to raise our children in a Biblical/Christian lifestyle - though it may be different from the typical "Jesus is love" doctrine most modern day Christians adhere to today... it is still quite difficult. We censor everything that comes into our home from magazines, music, movies, etc but it never fails something always gets in unintended and the kids let us know!


For example, our children have grown up watching Veggie Tales which is a "Christian" based kids' animation show that always ends with a biblical message. Recently while watching an episode, "Esther, the Girl Who Became Queen" which we have seen numerous times my thirteen year old points out that the little Squash portraying the biblical character Haman is wearing a "pimp suit" while ushering women into his carriage. Yes, she said a "pimp suit!" Of course I had to know where she picked up that term and she couldn't even recall the origin as it is a term that is used very loosely and freely among my fellow church members and neighbors. I try to take everything in stride and giggled along with her when I looked at the image and what was happening... I had to agree BUT this is not a mute discussion!

This is that added dimension of complexity to homeschooling in an "urban" area. We are living by values and morals that seem quite odd to those around us - even within our own circle. We do not swear, no one in this house has ever smoked a blunt (that's marijuana to those who don't know) or done any other drugs, we have never been arrested, been shot, seen a drive by, had a gun pulled out on us, etc or many of the other stereotypes. We are consciously choosing to live according to the commandments and laws of God as dictated in the Holy Bible. We are encouraging our children to give back to a community that seems to be in a never-ending cycle of self destruction. Help out those less fortunate and turn the other cheek. However, the area in which we live does not make this lifestyle very easy. I would love if I could raise my children in area where neighbors aren't swearing up and down the street at each other, the girls didn't dress like women of the night on a regular basis and the men held doors open for women. It would be nice if part of our homeschooling time was not dedicated to explaining the negative impact of the word "pimp suit". However this is our reality so it is with sheer determination and strength we will press on to raise righteous and virtuous flowers amongst a city of thorns. Maybe it will be their light that shines as a beacon to others and helps to restore the reputation of the once thriving Gary, Indiana.

Intro to Urban Homeschooling

For the purposes of this blog I am using the term urban defined loosely by the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=urban) as:

1. marketing term used to hide the fact they are focusing on a racial group; 2. black people or other minority; 3. city dwellers; 4. downtown area

While it may seem at first controversial to use this term I find it is necessary as our experience as a homeschooling family is quite unique from the sterertypical homeschool family. On the surface we may fit the image but our lifestyle and way of interacting is by no means average.

My husband and I are the proud parents of four wonderful children ages 13, 9, 3, and 1. We have a humble little brick home in Gary, Indiana (yes, once named "murder capital") are both self employed (he as a carpenter, I as a loctician) and adhere to a very strict moral code. We do not have fancy degrees of any kind (though I should have my B.S. in June) nor do we make a lot of money - by that I mean to say that we are not even above the poverty level. Our homeschooling journey has not been the easy relaxed uncomplicated walk you may read of others experiences but we have perservered.

The reason we are starting this blog is to share our ever changing experiences with others. Hopefully to provide encouragement as well as serve as a motivator to us during this time. There are plenty of books, blogs and networks available for those who are looking for answers to establishing a smooth functioning homeschool regimen where finances, opposition, religious freedom, racial tension, embarrassing neighbors, etc are not an issue but this is not that blog! So journey with us as we embark on rising above our socioeconomic status and prevailing in the midst of overwhelming odds. Let's BLOG!