In a Nutshell, or rather, a Suburban

ME, sitting in passenger seat of ancient Suburban, browsing through old Growing Without Schooling newsletter:

Hey, listen to this. It’s about a debate between some early homeschoolers and a representative of the NEA. The NEA rep is saying, “There is no way that a parent can teach in 2 hours per day what it takes a qualified teacher 5+ hours per day to teach.”

HUSBAND, driving:

The only proper reply to that is, “Thank goodness!”

This pretty much sums it up for me. The public schools have their functions, no doubt, but we are going about it “otherwise” as the British say.
John Holt says it well:

“The truth is the home-schooling movement is good for the schools. We provide, among other things, extrememly important educational research. Besides that, if–in the long run–schools are going to have a future, they will eventually have to function as learning and activity centers which more and more people come to voluntarily . . . and the sooner our institutions begin to move in such a direction, and some community schools already are moving that way, the better off they’ll be.” Interview with John Holt

My husband, again in a Suburban conversation said: We can prepare and serve gourmet dinners, while schools have to rely on McLearning. Claiming that McLearning is better is just denial.
We have seven children, which is why we need the Suburban, and being part of their growing and learning has been the most interesting and challenging thing in our lives.

So that’s what this blog is about. I already have a blog, but this one’s for a bit different purpose. I want it to be more of a journal. Besides I like Ron and Andrea’s screen template choices and their wordpress interface. And I like their idea of having a web journal center devoted to homeschoolers.

US: Willa and Kevin, married since 1985.
Kevin: born 1961, WAHD and computer game designer
Willa: born 1962, SAHM and occasional freelance writer.

We live in the California Sierra Mountains. Ever been to Yosemite? Look about 45 miles south. We have a giant sequoia grove just a few miles from our house. In the past ten years we’ve lived here, we’ve seen bears, coyotes, mountain lions, deers and raccons outside the window of our log home. The bear knocked over our trash can and my husband threw his shoes out the window at it. This worked.
OUr children are:

Liam born 1986
Brendan, born 1988
Clare, only daughter, born 1990,
Sean, born 1993
Kieron, born 1996
Aidan, born 1999
Patrick, born 2002

I guess that’s enough for now!