Welcome to 2009

The first day of 2009, and here I am again, with a blog.

So, everyone is talking about New Year's Resolutions... mine? To end 2009 better than I did 2008. Not to say that 2008 was bad - it was... challenging. I want to be better at parenting, better at finances, better at everyone I do, and who I am. A tall order to fill, but there you have it.

So, many new things this year - top of the list is that we are soon to be a homeschooling family. Woo! Now, I'm sure there are a few of you going "oh boy" and truth be told, I wonder a thousand times a day what we are getting into, but it honestly can't be worse than what the girls have had to deal with, namely Kaitlyn. And, for the record - I do not wear denim jumpers, or Keds tennis shoes. My hair isn't in a bun, my kids aren't weird. Nor, will I, or will they be.

Why did we decide to venture into this? Because we were slowly losing our daughter. We have battled for two years now with the school, and things have only gone from bad to worse. If you have a A/B student, that all of a sudden starts to flunk school, is bullied and harassed on a daily basis, and no one will do anything (because, they do not see it happen) then it is time to take things into your own hands. Sure, socialization has a big question mark over it now that we are going to homeschool, but you know what? I just don't see how they are "missing out" on socialization that includes extreme name calling - how can that possibly "build character". Does anyone remember Columbine?

It certainly isn't all the school's fault. We have missed the boat as parents on more than one occasion - who doesn't. But, its time to start focusing on our family - on our children, and who we want them to be, and who we want to be to them. I want my girls to be confident. To be able to love themselves, and to determine who they are by their own standard, not by what someone else says they are. I want my girls to be able to stand up for themselves when called names, not back down and accept what others say they are.

After saying all that, I suppose in a way, this blog is going to represent our family - what we go through in homeschooling, growth as a family, and anything else I feel like!