A new endeavor

I love blogging. I've been at it for years. However, I realized recently that I was putting way too much personal information on my old blog, and that the time had come to make it private.

However, I have gained so much insight and help and life-changing direction by reading other people's blogs, and I hope that in some small way I have done the same for someone else.

I recently began the journey of homeschooling my 4 kids, and I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge and wisdom in the last few weeks. I'd like to be able to share that without having to hide behind a "Sorry, this is blog is private" sign.

So, I'm starting a new blog. This one will be about our adventures in homeschooling, but I'm going to be much more careful about keeping my personal information to myself.

That said, I think the hardest thing about starting a new blog is coming up with what to call it. Since I've been mulling this idea around in my head for a while, I've been thinking of a name, too. Let me explain the significance behind the name, if you care to know.

The Bee Academy is namedusly because I want my children to learn to be industrious, hardworking, honest, helpful, kind, and all that. I read a great poem the other day called "Boy Wanted" by Frank Crane. Here it is in all it's inspiring, and slightly daunting, glory:

Boy Wanted - by Frank Crane

This "Want Ad" appeared in the early part of this century.

Wanted — A boy that stands straight, sits straight, acts straight, and talks straight;

A boy whose fingernails are not in mourning, whose ears are clean, whose shoes are polished, whose clothes are brushed, whose hair is combed, and whose teeth are well cared for;

A boy who listens carefully when he is spoken to, who asks questions when he does not understand, and does not ask questions about things that are none of his business;

A boy that moves quickly and makes as little noise about it as possible;

A boy who whistles in the street, but does not whistle where he ought to keep still;

A boy who looks cheerful, has a ready smile for everybody, and never sulks;

A boy who is polite to every man and respectful to every woman and girl;

A boy who does not smoke cigarettes and has no desire to learn how;

A boy who is more eager to know how to speak good English than to talk slang;

A boy that never bullies other boys nor allows other boys to bully him;

A boy who, when he does not know a thing, says, “I don’t know,” and when he has made a mistake says, “I’m sorry,” and when he is asked to do a thing says, “I’ll try”;

A boy who looks you right in the eye and tells the truth every time;

A boy who is eager to read good books;

A boy who would rather put in his spare time at the YMCA gymnasium than to gamble for pennies in a back room;

A boy who does not want to be “smart” nor in any wise to attract attention;

A boy who would rather lose his job or be expelled from school than to tell a lie or be a cad;

A boy whom other boys like;

A boy who is at ease in the company of girls;

A boy who is not sorry for himself, and not forever thinking and talking about himself;

A boy who is friendly with his mother, and more intimate with her than anyone else;

A boy who makes you feel good when he is around;

A boy who is not goody-goody, a prig, or a little pharisee, but just healthy, happy, and full of life.

This boy is wanted everywhere. The family wants him, the school wants him, the office wants him, the boys want him, the girls want him, all creation wants him.

This is what I want for my boys, and even for my daughter (modified slightly, of course.)

And now I think I'd better introduce you to myself and my family. Remember, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

I am Kelley. This is my real name since I figured it's pointless to give myself a different one seeing as you can see it on my profile anyway. If I could give myself a new name, it would be Grace because I can certainly use more of that particular trait in my life.

Anyway, I am a 31-year-old mother of 3 sweet boys and a darling daughter. My boys are 9, 7, and almost 5. My daughter is almost 15 months old.

We have homeschooled in the past, but it was more of an unschooling experiment since I really didn't have a clue of where I was going with it at the time. We have been homeschooling in earnest, with a written plan and a definite direction, for about 4 1/2 weeks. It is truly the hardest, most time-consuming thing I've ever done in my life, and yet I hope to be able to continue at it for as long as my children live under my roof. I love it. I absolutely love it. I love being able to spend lots of time with my children, teaching them what I know and learning from them and their excitement and enthusiasm.

I've discovered that the more time I spend with my kids, the more time I WANT to spend with them and that is a wonderful feeling!

Anyway, my oldest son is Spencer. He has some disabilities that make homeschooling, and parenting for that matter, a bit more difficult than it might otherwise have been, but he makes my life infinitely better for it. He is so amazing and I marvel at the way his mind works and how in tune he is with the Spirit. I can honestly say that most of the major course changes in my life since becoming a mother can be attributed to him and his special, amazing needs. I wouldn't take his disabilities away even if I could because of how our family has grown as a result of them.

My middle son is David. He is an amazingly responsible, intelligent, handsome young man that I feel honored to be the mother of. I am awed by how strong he is, how kind he can be, and how often he steps up to the plate to help me when I need him to. I absolutely delight in teaching him because he is so humble and teachable. Our one-on-one times together are truly the highlight of my day, and I am so grateful to have him as my son.

My youngest son is Drew. He is 4 3/4 going on 12! He is a ball of energy and spirit and fun. I've loved his deep belly laughs since he was a baby, and he is constantly reminding me to laugh, too. He has so much courage and spunk, and absolutely nothing seems to phase him. I am amazed at how smart he is, and it is really fun to watch him devouring knowledge as fast as he can get it. He has a pair of beautiful blue eyes that are really fun to watch because you can practically see the mischievous wheels in his head turning through them. He is a delight and I love him dearly.

My beautiful daughter's name is Darcy. She is the sunshine of my life and the apple of my eye. I waited a long time for a little girl, and now I'm making the most of it. There is nothing better in my day than to hold her, tickle her, and make her laugh. It is hard to put into words how very much I adore her. She had our whole family wrapped around her little finger the moment she was born, and she is the princess of our family.

My sweet husband is named Jon. I am in awe of him. He works so hard to take care of our family, and I am so very grateful for that. His work makes it possible for me to stay home, and that is a gift so precious that it is hard to put into words. He is my best friend and I thank God every day for him.

Welcome to my new blog. I hope it helps someone someday, because I know that I have been helped enormously by what I've read at other people's blogs. It will be predominantly about homeschool, and I will add links and ideas as I get them.

And now, it seems, that I am hour later getting ready for bed than I had intended. Oh well, as a fellow blogger and homeschooler once said:

As for finding the time, I have 3 methods for squeezing in blogging
time:
Ignoring my children
Ignoring my house
Ignoring my sleep.

I couldn't have said it better. :)