Why I want to homeschool

I'll admit, I'm easily influenced by popular trends. I have grand ideas about individuality and going against the grain and whatnot, but the reality is that I get a little dazzled by the cool things everyone else is doing. Especially if it's pretty or picturesque.

I know this about myself, and so I try to think through decisions thoroughly--often to the point of overthinking them. Sometimes I'm able to talk myself out of them, but other times my will is weak and I go for it anyway, whatever it is. And so I was wary when I first started thinking about homeschooling my kids. Was this another instance of being drawn in by the pretty pins on Pinterest, of wanting a project, of being influenced by what the cool kids were doing?

Learning letter sounds--how we did it

Yesterday, on our way home from zoo camp, E started pointing out letters on signs we passed. Actually, she does this all the time, and I love that she recognizes them. I started asking her to tell me what sounds those letters made--we ended up going through the whole alphabet, and she got all but two or three right. My 2.5-year-old knows her letter sounds!

I'd like to claim that it's my awesome teaching skills that has her so on top of this, but that would be a lie. In fact, I *almost* don't want to tell you how she learned it all. (But just almost--you obviously don't write blog posts about things you genuinely want to keep to yourself.)