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My 7 year old came to me and asked if we could do Bigger again next year. Apparently she and her sister want to repeat all the projects done in Bigger. On our break last year they repeated a lot of the projects in Beyond. The year before that is was LHFHG and all the rhymes in motion. I can see our break this year will be spent doing many of the Bigger projects over again. It just cracks me up! What kid actually asks to do their entire year of school over again.

My older kids were looking at the HOD plans and they wanted to figure out how they can include everything HOD will write because they will miss a year as it stands now. So they started calculating how they could fit in an extra program if we did five days HOD a week instead of four in the coming years. Their idea not mine. Think we are going to do the wait and see what life brings version and just know thankfully our future is set either way with HOD. But I am excited they would be willing to work harder just to have all that HOD has to offer. They feel they will be missing something if they graduate missing one HOD program.

These are not normal kids! HOD has made them even kind of weird. They actually love school. I mean whose kids want to repeat school in the summer and what kids in their right mind would want to work harder to sneak in an entire extra year into their education. Pretty freaky. And yet to the average observer they seem well adjusted.

When we first started hsing they wallowed in misery for their day to be over and would look at the kids that got on the bus longingly, until we found HOD. Now they feel sorry for their friends at church that have to go to ps and miss out on all the fun we have with HOD. Just looking back today as these two things were presented to me from my kids wanting more not less school, and can't believe where HOD has taken us. There is no greener grass than HOD!

What a great share! I love it! I know twice today we were out and Brooklyn was asked ...first why wasnt she in school...response...I learn at home....second she was asked...do you like it...her response...totally on her own both times...The thing I really love is learning so much about The Pilgrims...I never learned about them before....She was in public school during Thanksgiving one year and it was so vague she doesnt even remember learning about them....She has LOVED learning the history of it all....I love the way HOD just keeps our kids wanting to learn more!!! Thanks for sharing!!! Beth in Idaho

LOL! That might be a little bit weird but wonderful. I'm ok with weird kids.

This is funny because I was looking back at my previous posts just today, thinking how far we had come in just this 1st year. I was such a mess when I found HOD! And Clueless!! HOD has been such a blessing to me and to my son. We are both "kind of weird" and we like it!

I LOVE your post, too! Thanks for sharing!

This is great! The best kind of weird. The blessing of homeschooling is that children are free to love to learn, and won't be negatively labeled by their peers for doing so! What a testimony to homeschooling and HOD. I pray I'll have the same weirdness in my family. Thanks for sharing!

That is so great! HOD really does help our kids love to learn!

When I needed a break back in the winter, my son said, "WHY? Why can't we do school everyday? Why don't we do it on Saturday and Sunday, too???"

Gotta love HOD!

This is so wonderful!!! Weird is just fine. Who wants to be like everyone else anyway??

Thank you for the encouraging post!

Love it!!

Grant got a hold of my HOD catalog, and let me know that he's ready to start up with RTR anytime. We ARE taking a few months off, and I'm sure he will enjoy every outside minute of it...but Carrie sure does pick some appealing books. I'm quite sure it's the next Vikng Quest book that has him ready to give over his summer vacation for school.

Grant also told me on our way to town today that he was 99.999999999999% (he could keep going with the 9's, but decided to finish his story) sure that anyone who left pulic or private school to be homeschooled would NEVER want to go back ever! Especially if they use Heart of Dakota!
Yep, we've got it good! Love my kids, and love that they like being with me!
Kathleen

I pray our kids will love being weird too! I just know at our house, where we are not HSing formally yet, that we did LHFHG on Sunday of all days (YES, Mother's Day!) and my DD did about a half-hour of worksheets afterwards on her OWN because she was so motivated to learn after we were done with LHFHG "at half-speed!"

What a great testimony, water2wine!!!

That is Awesome! Maybe they aren't weird. Maybe they are how they are supposed to be... interested in life, curious about things, with a love of learning.

water2wine - I love this! I think that's pretty neat, and I'm so glad they are loving HOD enough to want their happy days to continue. I had to laugh when I read this because today I came home after running errands, and Riley had rebuilt the tin foil Philadelphia boat he'd built months ago in Bigger Hearts. I almost crumpled it and threw it away, but he shouted in quite an alarmed voice, "STOP MOM! That's not just some tin foil, that's my ship! I'm going to use it later tonight. I just set it on the windowsill to dry". Well, the water on the windowsill made sense then. I'm not sure at what point it was floating or where, but I did leave it be. Wyatt cleared off his bookshelf this morning to make room for other books. I went to look at which books he kept in his room, which are his favorites, and the whole top and middle shelf of the 4 shelf bookcase were filled from end to end with white-stickered books with hearts. (I put a white address label with a heart and the name of the HOD guide its in on each spine of the books in HOD.) Emmett got out his Bible and his phonics and was waiting on the couch with them for me today, and we've been done with school a few weeks. Yeah, my kids fit in the weird club with yours just fine. Welcome to the club! Thanks for sharing!!!

In Christ,
Julie

water2wine,

I am late to this thread, but this blessed my heart so much today! I'm in my super-busy writing season and am missing time I usually spend with my family, as the guides continue to get even more consuming to write. We pray so much to be in the Lord's will, and it can be a struggle at times for both my family and for me to be writing so much! Thank you for the encouragement in the writing arena, as I have arrived at a place where I am thankful that my kids are "weird" because they enjoy their guides too. I can actually see a distinct difference between how my oldest son feels about his school days and education (non-HOD and pieced together yearly) versus my next 3 in line who have only used HOD. This gives me peace to know that my kiddos are more excited and more engaged through HOD.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie wrote: I'm in my super-busy writing season and am missing time I usually spend with my family, as the guides continue to get even more consuming to write. We pray so much to be in the Lord's will, and it can be a struggle at times for both my family and for me to be writing so much!

Carrie I selfishly pray all the time for you continue and yet I can't imagine the toll it has on your family. But on the other hand I know your heart is to do God's will and bless others and He definitely works through you in your writing. I can't imagine where my family would be if we did not have HOD. It's so perfectly what we need and because of HOD we are free to look at what is it that is God's will for our family without the burden of finding curriculum and trying to force it to work each year. I know the same is true for many more. I can't imagine how proud your kids must be knowing what you do for other families.

Praying God gives you strength, peace and blesses you beyond belief as you continue now to write the higher levels. I really believe the need for those levels are even greater than the ones you have already written and are loved by us all. I know as I look at my 13 year olds and think in 5 years they will legally be considered adults, I am overwhelmed by the skills they need to have not just academically but also spiritually. But I feel so much better knowing HOD is going to partner with me in the years to come. I know He called us to HOD knowing all the guides are going to be perfect for what He wants my kids to learn, the ones written and the ones to come. I know there are many others that have been blessed with the same kind of peace about using HOD especially in the years to come. Praying that the writing becomes easier rather than harder even though I know the material and depth becomes more and more demanding with each new level. But I know He Who called you is faithful and it is not only for our blessing but for yours as well. Praying that now more than ever you and your family will feel that blessing!

And I promise I will try not to pray that HOD writes college for homeschoolers.

water2wine wrote:

Carrie wrote: I'm in my super-busy writing season and am missing time I usually spend with my family, as the guides continue to get even more consuming to write. We pray so much to be in the Lord's will, and it can be a struggle at times for both my family and for me to be writing so much!

Carrie I selfishly pray all the time for you continue and yet I can't imagine the toll it has on your family. But on the other hand I know your heart is to do God's will and bless others and He definitely works through you in your writing. I can't imagine where my family would be if we did not have HOD. It's so perfectly what we need and because of HOD we are free to look at what is it that is God's will for our family without the burden of finding curriculum and trying to force it to work each year. I know the same is true for many more. I can't imagine how proud your kids must be knowing what you do for other families.

Praying God gives you strength, peace and blesses you beyond belief as you continue now to write the higher levels. I really believe the need for those levels are even greater than the ones you have already written and are loved by us all. I know as I look at my 13 year olds and think in 5 years they will legally be considered adults, I am overwhelmed by the skills they need to have not just academically but also spiritually. But I feel so much better knowing HOD is going to partner with me in the years to come. I know He called us to HOD knowing all the guides are going to be perfect for what He wants my kids to learn, the ones written and the ones to come. I know there are many others that have been blessed with the same kind of peace about using HOD especially in the years to come. Praying that the writing becomes easier rather than harder even though I know the material and depth becomes more and more demanding with each new level. But I know He Who called you is faithful and it is not only for our blessing but for yours as well. Praying that now more than ever you and your family will feel that blessing!

And I promise I will try not to pray that HOD writes college for homeschoolers.

I couldn't agree more with everything you've said water2wine!! We're so thankful for the sacrfices you make as you bless us, Carrie. Praying for you and your family during these busy, busy months!
Kathleen