My Column

I mentioned briefly last post that I will be writing a column for The Sentinel, which is an LDS Homeschooling e-newsletter that comes out once a week. Because they have a lot of writers, each writer only writes once a month. (Which is probably for the best, because I don't know that I could commit to more than that!) I'm really excited about this opportunity. I have missed being published (if you count high school newspaper as being published, that is). I think this is going to be a great opportunity for me to do something I love doing, with a little bit of pressure to do my best work. I write on this blog all the time, and although I love it, it's not what I'd call my best work, since I rarely go through the revision process on my blog. So this column is a chance for me to become a better writer. It's also a chance to share some of my experiences and things that I learn as I'm starting out homeschooling. And hopefully, the things I write will be beneficial to others who are in the same place I am.

Anyways, my bio page got put up on the website over the weekend, and it was just really cool for me, and I wanted to share. This is the link to it http://www.ldsnhe.com/our_writers.html#scribble_scholars if anyone is interested in seeing it "live". For record's sake, I'm going to post my bio here, so that it'll be in the blog book when I make it. Also, if by chance anyone out there is interested in receiving the Sentinel in your inbox, you can sign up for it here. It's not overwhelming or anything, it's just two or three short articles (but they come together in one email) that have to do with homeschooling, once a week. Even if you aren't a homeschooler and never plan on being one, I think it still gives some great ideas and philosophies on child education, which is a subject you'll have to tackle no matter where your kids get their education from. So there's my plug, check it out!

And here is my Bio or my introduction page, so when people read my articles and want to know a little bit more about me, they come here. My column is called Scribble Scholars.

“What do you want to do today?” I once asked my 3 ½ year old son. After a thoughtful pause he replied, “Today I am going to fly. Wanna see?” And true to his word, he spent the rest of the day jumping off couches, chairs, and beds, pretending to be a bird, or a superhero, or a rocket. Other days he spends disassembling my vacuum to see how it works, or maybe he’ll empty my kitchen drawer to find the perfect wooden spoon to make a “driver” for his pretend racecar. A quick memory allows him to retell a story or sing the lyrics to a song after hearing it only a few times. Mega Bloks, wooden blocks, Trios, marshmallows and spaghetti noodles, you name it, and he loves to build with it. His favorite books are about pirates. And all day he asks questions. “What’s in a tree?” “Do clouds make rain?” “Was I in your tummy?” “What makes the light turn on?”

My 22 month old son, who is just learning to talk, asks questions all day too, though his are limited mostly to “What’s that? What’s that?” and pointing with his finger. He pays much closer attention to detail than his older brother, which is possibly why he enjoys coloring, looking out the window, and sorting objects into different containers. Wooden peg puzzles are his latest discovery, and dirt and water are two of his favorite toys. When we can’t be outside, he bakes imaginary cookies to feed to his stuffed animals. He loves to dance and move around to music. His favorite books are about dinosaurs.

My baby girl is only five months old, but already I see her watching her big brothers and wondering what they’re up to. She gets excited when they’re around, and seems to be content even in the middle of their chaos. And I know it’s only a matter of time before she actively participates.

These are my little Scribble Scholars. They are my inspiration. And it is for them that I am beginning this homeschooling journey.

I’m Krystal. The Mom. The Wife. The Writer. The Reader. The Athlete/Sports Enthusiast. The Chef. The Party Planner. The Talker. The Record Keeper. The Daydreamer. I have lots of shoes that I fill, but recently I’ve decided to try on a new pair and become The Educator.

For us, homeschooling is an opportunity to turn learning into a way of life right from the beginning, and to do it as a family. My Scribble Scholars and I have lots to learn in this trial and error process, but we’re excited about the possibilities. For those of you finding yourself in similar shoes, I write this column.

So that's it. Nothing really fancy, but I'm super excited about it. My first article should be coming out in February, and I'll probably post it here too. I'm a writer again, yay!