Where Are We Now?
This blog is a review of my homeschooling years. Since I just got back from a program at the university that my 17 year old daughter is going to attend next fall and, also today, I just found out that my 20 year old son has been accepted as a transfer from the local community college to a 4 year state university, it seems appropriate to take stock of where all five adult (or nearly adult) children are right now. This might be a really boring post!
My oldest is 28, married and expecting her first child in August. (So excited to be a grandma!!!) She attended the University of Dallas and got a degree in Politics. She then came back to Virginia and lived at home while attending Marymount University where she earned a Master's in Education. She married her college boyfriend. She's a Civics teacher in a nearby public school. She loves it. She loves working with general ed and special ed students especially. She and her husband bought a townhouse a couple years ago, just about 12 minutes or so from us. We get to see her often. I think after she left UD, which is a very conservative school, and went out into work world, and with the ascendancy of Trump, she became more and more liberal in her political views, especially because of immigration. She also. during this period began to struggle with her faith. I do think though, slowly she is returning. I don't like to press her on it, but trust in God and I pray for her daily. Her husband has had some sharp set backs in terms of finding a career and this has caused some worrisome depression for him. I pray for him too. Right now he's working for a non-profit pro-literacy group. It really doesn't pay enough though, so at some point he needs to move on. I am going to be the baby's nanny while my daughter and her husband are at work. I'm looking forward to this new stage in my life!
Next comes my oldest son who will turn 27 this June. He is about to get married in a few weeks! He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. His main instrument is the guitar. He majored in Composition with a minor in Conducting. He works in the gig economy of Boston. He teaches music after school for a public elementary school and a private school (2 days at one and three at the other). He also has a job playing at a preschool some mornings a week. He has some private students and he has just completed a second musical arrangement for pay. He's making it work but I think it is really hard. I don't think there's lot of security there. He applied to Boston Conservatory but didn't get in, which he took philosophically. I'm not sure how he's going to make ends me once married and perhaps a father, but he is very entrepreneurial and hard working and so is his fiance, who studied opera at Boston University. She right now juggles a couple different jobs. Not only does she have a beautiful singing voice but she's quite artistic in other realms as well. They are both devout Catholics.
My middle son just turned 24 and lives at home. He tried college twice, first at Christendom but came home after the first year. Then he took some business classes at the local community college but he didn't keep it up. He found a full time job working at a sailing marina. He started off as a seasonal dockworker, was hired as permanent eventually, and then promoted to supervisor. He really loves working there. He loves the variety of tasks, from landscaping, boat repair, painting, power washing to working with customers, running the store, and even things like having to call slip renters who are behind on their rent or preparing contracts for new members. Just a few weeks ago, his boss tried to get him a job as an assistant manager to the Special Events manager for the parent company who not only runs marinas, but all sorts of fairs, concession stands, petting zoos, etc. I don't know what happened with that. I don't know if that is still in the works or if he got passed over. I'm sure he'll update me at some point. He is a very introverted guy. He likes work but he likes to come home and chill in his room. Surprisingly though, all on his own he volunteers as an usher at a nearby parish. That parish has a Mass schedule that fits his crazy having to work weekends schedule. Recently he volunteered to usher for the Confirmation Mass. Another nice thing he does is he visits his grandfather every week. He takes him shopping or fixes something needed in his apartment, things like that. He helps out a lot around the house here. So I don't know. He might just live here for a while. It works for him. I do wish he was more interested in developing a social life, but maybe that will come later.
My youngest son, 20, was just accepted to George Mason University as a transfer (not the guaranteed kind) from the community college. He is very musical too. He plays the flute, harmonica and piano. But he's decided that is just for fun (he just won a jazz/pop music competition at the community college!) and instead he has decided to study Geography. This has my husband flummoxed as he has no idea what career comes from studying Geography! But this son has always been fascinated with learning geographical trivia. On his own he memorized all the countries and capitals in Africa, for example. He really unschooled himself in the subject. He wants to travel. He went to World Youth Day in Poland and that really ignited a desire to see the world. The campus is only 25 minutes from our house and it is a big commuter college. However, I think originally he planned to move onto campus or get a group house near the campus. But about a month ago he started dating a young lady who does not have a car. If he lives at home, he can borrow our car, but if he lives on campus, he won't have one. So we'll have to see how serious he is about this girl. That might determine what happens. I am not sure about his faith life. He doesn't seem that engaged, but then every once in a while, he'll say something that floors me in terms of deep understanding. Again, I pray for him.
My youngest daughter is 17 and is going to Catholic University of America in the fall to study psychology, a subject she is fascinated with. I really wanted her to be able to study psychology in the context of the Catholic faith, since I think secular psychology has a reductive view of what it means to be human. We just need to wrap up this last semester of 12th grade. It's been quite a ride. She's been ill for her junior and senior year which has made things super tough. She's got Hashimoto's and we've also discovered she is suffering from mold illness. We are right this minute in the midst of mold remediation, which is so disruptive. The house is in disarray. She's been living at a friend's house for this past week. They go out of town and then she'll be staying at her older sister's house for a week. I'm not sure what happens after that or quite when it will be ok for her to move home again. While this is going on she's studying for an on line class final, writing a paper for her literature class, and trying to finish up her Physics and Math before our homeschool graduation. She's also got a big voice recital coming up to prepare for. And she is singing the first dance number at the wedding reception! She is about to start a diet and medical protocol to get the mold toxins out of her liver. She's a trooper! And this summer she hopes very much to be part of a musical theater production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
So that's where we are right now. Homeschooling really worked for us. Unschooling in the younger years was such a joy and a blessing! As the teens years came on our approach grew more collaborative and eclectic, relying on co-op classes, on line classes and the community college. And then we filled out things with self-directed study at home. At times it was rough, but teens can be rough! My oldest was a fairly conscientious student but definitely had a sassy teen attitude at times. We've had to deal with learning disabilities and lack of focus. My middle son was so unmotivated. Looking back he really was the hardest to get through the teen years, even though he never gave me any trouble in the usual sense. My youngest son had a lot of emotional issues to work through but he's evened out wonderfully now. Maturing is hard work! And my youngest daughter being ill has been hard. It hasn't been a walk in the park!!! But I am so glad they got to stay home with me during their most formative years. I'm glad we got to explore the world together.
I am completely blessed.
My oldest is 28, married and expecting her first child in August. (So excited to be a grandma!!!) She attended the University of Dallas and got a degree in Politics. She then came back to Virginia and lived at home while attending Marymount University where she earned a Master's in Education. She married her college boyfriend. She's a Civics teacher in a nearby public school. She loves it. She loves working with general ed and special ed students especially. She and her husband bought a townhouse a couple years ago, just about 12 minutes or so from us. We get to see her often. I think after she left UD, which is a very conservative school, and went out into work world, and with the ascendancy of Trump, she became more and more liberal in her political views, especially because of immigration. She also. during this period began to struggle with her faith. I do think though, slowly she is returning. I don't like to press her on it, but trust in God and I pray for her daily. Her husband has had some sharp set backs in terms of finding a career and this has caused some worrisome depression for him. I pray for him too. Right now he's working for a non-profit pro-literacy group. It really doesn't pay enough though, so at some point he needs to move on. I am going to be the baby's nanny while my daughter and her husband are at work. I'm looking forward to this new stage in my life!
Next comes my oldest son who will turn 27 this June. He is about to get married in a few weeks! He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. His main instrument is the guitar. He majored in Composition with a minor in Conducting. He works in the gig economy of Boston. He teaches music after school for a public elementary school and a private school (2 days at one and three at the other). He also has a job playing at a preschool some mornings a week. He has some private students and he has just completed a second musical arrangement for pay. He's making it work but I think it is really hard. I don't think there's lot of security there. He applied to Boston Conservatory but didn't get in, which he took philosophically. I'm not sure how he's going to make ends me once married and perhaps a father, but he is very entrepreneurial and hard working and so is his fiance, who studied opera at Boston University. She right now juggles a couple different jobs. Not only does she have a beautiful singing voice but she's quite artistic in other realms as well. They are both devout Catholics.
My middle son just turned 24 and lives at home. He tried college twice, first at Christendom but came home after the first year. Then he took some business classes at the local community college but he didn't keep it up. He found a full time job working at a sailing marina. He started off as a seasonal dockworker, was hired as permanent eventually, and then promoted to supervisor. He really loves working there. He loves the variety of tasks, from landscaping, boat repair, painting, power washing to working with customers, running the store, and even things like having to call slip renters who are behind on their rent or preparing contracts for new members. Just a few weeks ago, his boss tried to get him a job as an assistant manager to the Special Events manager for the parent company who not only runs marinas, but all sorts of fairs, concession stands, petting zoos, etc. I don't know what happened with that. I don't know if that is still in the works or if he got passed over. I'm sure he'll update me at some point. He is a very introverted guy. He likes work but he likes to come home and chill in his room. Surprisingly though, all on his own he volunteers as an usher at a nearby parish. That parish has a Mass schedule that fits his crazy having to work weekends schedule. Recently he volunteered to usher for the Confirmation Mass. Another nice thing he does is he visits his grandfather every week. He takes him shopping or fixes something needed in his apartment, things like that. He helps out a lot around the house here. So I don't know. He might just live here for a while. It works for him. I do wish he was more interested in developing a social life, but maybe that will come later.
My youngest son, 20, was just accepted to George Mason University as a transfer (not the guaranteed kind) from the community college. He is very musical too. He plays the flute, harmonica and piano. But he's decided that is just for fun (he just won a jazz/pop music competition at the community college!) and instead he has decided to study Geography. This has my husband flummoxed as he has no idea what career comes from studying Geography! But this son has always been fascinated with learning geographical trivia. On his own he memorized all the countries and capitals in Africa, for example. He really unschooled himself in the subject. He wants to travel. He went to World Youth Day in Poland and that really ignited a desire to see the world. The campus is only 25 minutes from our house and it is a big commuter college. However, I think originally he planned to move onto campus or get a group house near the campus. But about a month ago he started dating a young lady who does not have a car. If he lives at home, he can borrow our car, but if he lives on campus, he won't have one. So we'll have to see how serious he is about this girl. That might determine what happens. I am not sure about his faith life. He doesn't seem that engaged, but then every once in a while, he'll say something that floors me in terms of deep understanding. Again, I pray for him.
My youngest daughter is 17 and is going to Catholic University of America in the fall to study psychology, a subject she is fascinated with. I really wanted her to be able to study psychology in the context of the Catholic faith, since I think secular psychology has a reductive view of what it means to be human. We just need to wrap up this last semester of 12th grade. It's been quite a ride. She's been ill for her junior and senior year which has made things super tough. She's got Hashimoto's and we've also discovered she is suffering from mold illness. We are right this minute in the midst of mold remediation, which is so disruptive. The house is in disarray. She's been living at a friend's house for this past week. They go out of town and then she'll be staying at her older sister's house for a week. I'm not sure what happens after that or quite when it will be ok for her to move home again. While this is going on she's studying for an on line class final, writing a paper for her literature class, and trying to finish up her Physics and Math before our homeschool graduation. She's also got a big voice recital coming up to prepare for. And she is singing the first dance number at the wedding reception! She is about to start a diet and medical protocol to get the mold toxins out of her liver. She's a trooper! And this summer she hopes very much to be part of a musical theater production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
So that's where we are right now. Homeschooling really worked for us. Unschooling in the younger years was such a joy and a blessing! As the teens years came on our approach grew more collaborative and eclectic, relying on co-op classes, on line classes and the community college. And then we filled out things with self-directed study at home. At times it was rough, but teens can be rough! My oldest was a fairly conscientious student but definitely had a sassy teen attitude at times. We've had to deal with learning disabilities and lack of focus. My middle son was so unmotivated. Looking back he really was the hardest to get through the teen years, even though he never gave me any trouble in the usual sense. My youngest son had a lot of emotional issues to work through but he's evened out wonderfully now. Maturing is hard work! And my youngest daughter being ill has been hard. It hasn't been a walk in the park!!! But I am so glad they got to stay home with me during their most formative years. I'm glad we got to explore the world together.
I am completely blessed.
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