What Kind Of School Am I Running Here?

Talk about unorthodox. The Hamilton homeschool is it. I have 3 current pupils with a 19 month old contender up and coming. We fly by the seat of our pants most of the time. But learning does take place . . . and even discipleship.

Truly I think we are somewhere between homeschooling and unschooling. Those who would subscribe to the idea of unschooling would say I'm not an unschooler. We do have curriculum, but it is unscheduled and done when it works for us. Those who are more structured homeschoolers would think I'm just nuts.

I started the school year with a schedule, some 'teacher books' that accompany the curriculum and a routine. Soon after the schoolyear began the schedules, the teacher books and the routine were toted out to the curb with the diapers and other garbage we escort to the sidelines of our suburban street on a regular basis.

But I guess that's what homeschooling is all about . . . doing what works for us regardless of the opinions, successes or failures of others.

Case in point was today, which began with a rough start. I was diagnosed with hip bursitis yesterday and given a cortisone shot in the right hip. (that's right, even 38 year olds can have bursitis . . . I went online to find some hip bursitis jokes . . .there are none. but i did find one thing funny:a link that says "Find Hip Bursitis Coupons, Deals and Discounts.") Anyway, I awoke with some soreness this morning.. . . enough to warrant an over the counter pain pill. (In hindsight . . . the Motrin would have been a wiser choice.) I took the Aleve. And for some reason it, and what I ate for breakfast, refused to stay in my stomach!!

Needless to say, the kids found extra free time this morning and made the most of it. Then we did Bible study. After Bible study I still wasn't feeling quite right so I put a movie on for them: The Veggie Tales version of Jonah. It's a movie that they haven't seen in such a long time, and have been requesting to see again for weeks.

After lunch we cleaned house. Then we did math and language arts. We signed cards for aunt and grandmother who are soon to have a birthday. Afterwards was outside playtime, followed by reading. Elizabeth (4) actually read to Katherine (7) today while Joseph (5) read to me and Samuel napped. I'm so proud of Katherine. She did very well. She was patient and careful to not tell any words to Elizabeth, but to just encourage her to try again if she sounded out a word incorrectly.

We did not do science or hand writing or history or spelling or read-a-louds (of which is rarity . . . we NEVER skip read-a-louds). But I'm proud of the day we did have. I'm proud of most of the days we have . . . but a camera hidden in our house somewhere would most likely warrant ridicule and possibly even interference from the nosiest, most opinionated of today's homeschool culture. I'm okay with that!