Christian. Wife. Mom X 3. Home educator. Sweet tea addict. Classically eclectic. Slightly Charlotte Mason. Mostly socialized.
The long version:
Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers is about encouraging and equipping homeschooling families through practical tips, honest product reviews, and a candid look at the homeschooling lifestyle. It's where the stereotypes become an inside joke, relationships take a front seat, faith-growing takes precedence over multiple choice, and lots of sweet-tea-drinking is strongly encouraged.
I am a Christian, growing in my faith and learning to step out of my comfort zone to be Jesus to those around me - physically or virtually - and live a life that is honoring to God. I hope that others will see some glimpse of Christ in me and that, at least most of the time, my words and actions would be pleasing to Him and make people want to know more about the God I serve.
I am a wife and mom. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Brian, since 1991. We share our home in the southeastern United States with our three children, Brianna (May 1995), Josh (December 1999) and Megan (September 2001), along with a menagerie of three dogs, three cats, and two snakes at last count.
We began homeschooling in 2002 when my oldest was entering second grade. It was a trial run for us, but it took less than three months to realize that homeschooling was the perfect fit for our family. You can read more about why we decided to homeschool here.
Our homeschooling style is our own creation which I like to call "classically eclectic with a Charlotte Mason twist." We are eclectic in both our resources and our approach, but we lean toward classical with some elements of Charlotte Mason and approach most things with a unit study mindset. We like to learn through great books and hands-on activities, which you will find me posting about regularly.
My addictions include blogging, reading (I am hopelessly addicted to the entire Twilight saga and historical romance, particularly Julie Garwood) and sweet tea. Lately, I've also become very interested in drawing and photography.
I try to lead a life of integrity and honesty, realizing that faith and trust are hard to regain once they're lost. I'm a night owl with a sarcastic sense of humor (hence the name Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers) and a dry wit. I'm both an organizational and a control freak, though you wouldn't always know it to look around my house.
I began blogging sometime around 2005. It began as simply a means of journaling our days in order to force me to focus on what we had completed, rather than what we hadn't. I quickly discovered a passion for blogging because it allows me indulge in my lifelong love of putting words on paper, while simultaneously giving me the opportunity connect with other homeschooling families.
I enjoy drawing the global homeschooling community together through features such as the Weekly Wrap-Up (on Friday afternoons) and the Homeschool Showcase (alternating Mondays).
At Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, my goal is promoting family values, building the Christian faith, providing a quality education...changing the world one homeschooled kid at a time through posts like:
The Public School Parents' Guide to Homeschooling Parents
Our Chore Chart
Making a Salt Dough Map
Paper Mache Earth
Setting up a Writing Center
I hope you'll look around and find some practical tips, helpful insight, and useful resources. If you'd like to join us on the journey, be sure to subscribe or follow us on Facebook.
You can also follow my weight-loss journey on my fitness blog, Eclipsed: Escaping the Shadow of Obesity, where I chronicle my transformation from obese couch potato to half-marathon runner. Find out how I've lost nearly 100 pounds.
