To prove they're not locked in the basement, I give you exhibit A.

It is my sincere desire to someday write down all the various reasons we've chosen to homeschool.  My masters is in language acquisition and brain development from birth through adolescence (which sounds all fancy, but the truth is that I'm just as perplexed as everybody else by kids and their weird behavior), and it is worth a separate post to discuss just how much I love the curriculum we've chosen to utilize and why.  The short answer is: it just resonates with me from my nerdy, brain-development perspective.

When it comes to homeschooling, the sticking point to most of the world - of course, always - has to do with socialization.  Which always makes me laugh a little, because... well, they're kids, not dogs.  And mine are definitely not locked in the basement, but that too is a post for a different time.

For now, I'll just relay that one of the greatest things about this program is that we have a cohort of absolutely wonderful people that meets once a week.  Mondays, then, are for more "traditional" school in our world.  The community aspect of this program is just phenomenal.

School is from 9-12, and in that time they do science experiments, learn new memory work in 7 subjects (timeline, history, geography, English grammar, math, science and Latin), play games to review past memory work, study art or music and give prepared presentations in front of the class.

In this photo, they're memorizing facts from the timeline of the world.  Today: Lincoln's war between the States, Reconstruction of the Southern States, Dominion of Canada, Otto Von Bismark unifies Germany, Boer wars in Africa, the Spanish American War, and The Progressive Era.  Of course, they have no real understanding of what these individual events mean or their greater significance in the world's history. That comes later. For now, we're just memorizing.

Her teacher is Mrs. Wilson, and she is absolutely fabulous.  Truly gifted as a teacher, and a wonderful example of Christ.

Each of the events has a hand motion to accompany it.  Because - nerd alert! - any time you engage multiple senses, your brain is more likely to translate the information into long term memory and you're more apt to hang onto it.  I know, I can't help it.  It's right up my alley.

Um... not to mention, like a layer of fudge on an ice cream cake, it's just awesome.

Here they are laying on the floor learning Latin.  Yes, this is how we amuse ourselves in my household.

It is just so wonderful to see what these kids can do.  They really know this stuff, too.  I am continually blown away by how much they know and can do at such young ages.  Because... well, who doesn't want to march around a classroom singing about how NATO was formed to resist the spread of Soviet communism?

If that's not your idea of fun, we'd probably better not be friends anymore.