Hi. My name is Lori Boling. I have been married to David for almost 17 years. Together we have two children. Griffin is 13 and Isabella (Bella) is 9. We have homeschooled our children for their entire lives. It has been such a blessing to be able to watch their eyes light up each time they learn something new. I thank God daily for allowing me to be able to spend these years at home with them so we can instill the values that we believe are so important. I strive to be the mom and wife that God intends for me to be. My favorite Bible verse is Phillipians 4:13 which says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
We are trying to learn more about living a sustainable lifestyle. We are beginners at all of this but enjoy learning about the land. We started square foot gardening last year and it has become a passion of mine. This year we are getting chickens and each day we learn something new. This is homeschooling at its best. We are also trying very hard to only feed our family things that are chemical free. All of our square foot gardening this year will be organic seeds. This is such an exciting time. I am starting to blog about our learning experience with all of this at my blog Loving Learning at Home. I would love for you to visit me there to read recipes, see our animals, watch our garden grow and read about the curriculum we use. I also have giveaways on there from time to time so be sure to check back often.
What is your homeschool style?
We definitely use an eclectic style. We change curriculums like some people change. . . well, you know what I mean. I find that if something isn’t working, I’m really quick to change it. Sometimes I think that is not such a smart thing to do. I’m working on being satisfied with what we are doing because I’m afraid I’m hurting my kids by allowing them to think that they don’t have to stick with things. We love Charlotte Mason though. We find that short lessons and lots of reading of great literature work great for us. My kids have always loved to be read to and still enjoy this along with listening to books on CD.
Why did you choose to homeschool?
When my son was getting ready for Kindergarten I just knew that I couldn’t send him away from me every day. Our local school had just switched to all day, every day Kindergarten and I felt that was too much for a five year old. So, we looked into a local Montessori school. I really liked it but it was almost $3000 a year. It was three hours a day, five days a week. David and I decided that we could do Kindergarten without ruining him. We used an online public school and we really did like it. When first grade came around, I realized that I wasn’t happy with all of the meetings I had to do and big brother looking over my shoulder. So, we ventured out on our own and have never looked back.
Where do you live? Is it difficult to homeschool there?
We live in Southwest Ohio about 30 minutes from the Ohio River. I love living here. Although at times, I dream about living somewhere that is warm all the time, Ohio has always been our home. My family and David’s family all live within 20 minutes of us. It is so nice to have family close. My favorite thing about where we live is that we live near enough to actual places on the Underground Railroad to visit them often. We love Rankin House and have visited there several times. Did you know that it is depicted in the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin? There is nothing like walking up the same steps that the slaves did to make history come alive.
The homeschool laws in Ohio are fairly easy. We have to notify the state of our intent to homeschool. This isn’t asking for permission and they cannot deny it if you send all of the correct paperwork in. We have to agree to do 900 hours of school work each year. That’s easy enough because we learn from the moment we get up until we go to bed. We don’t have to keep track of the hours, just agree to them. At the end of the year, we are required to either do an assessment with a certified teacher or we can do testing. We have always used the assessment. We are not the easiest state to live in when it comes to homeschooling, but we certainly aren’t the worst. I really can’t complain.
What is your favorite book?
This is hard because, as a homeschool mom, you know I love books, right? I feel like you can never have too many. Why go to the library when we have our own? My favorite children’s book is Alabaster’s Song. It is the story of Christmas through the eyes of an angel. It tells about how through the years, adults get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and forget about the true meaning. The angel in the story tells of his first hand experience at amazing event, when Jesus was born. If you haven’t read it, you really must.
My favorite book for adults is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I honestly love everything he writes but The Notebook was the first book I read that made me cry. Okay, I cried on the first page. It tells of an elderly couples’ love that has stood the test of time. It makes me yearn for a love that in all honesty, I know I can only achieve from God. It has been made into a movie, but you really have to read the book. Like always, it is so much better. Oh yeah, I also love the TwilightSeries. I know that it is a young adult series and I’m quite a ways off from a young adult, but I’m a sucker for a good love story. But, if you’re wondering . . .I’m team Jesus. Because even though I like the books, I know Edward and Jacob can’t save me.