RIP, Mr Paul Newman

Paul Newman and my homeschool-
As anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm not a freaky homeschooler, keeping the world from my children, and keeping my kids from the world. My decision to homeschool my youngest was an organic one, born of pure practicality. My child has learning challenges which made a classroom setting difficult at best, and God knows, most days in public school weren't the best. I spent the hours after the public school day, at home, trying to teach the child what the public school teachers could not. His 'learning day' was extending from sun-up to past dark, five days a week, minimum. The child was 11 years old. Is that a life you would pick for any child? Faced with the decision of homeschool versus public school it really came down to this: if I'm going to spend the hours teaching, why don't I teach him on OUR time and on OUR timetable, not a timetable arbitrarily picked by a teacher, a principal, or an administrator in Austin? And this little rebel home school was born. We haven't looked back.

What does all this have to do with Paul Newman? I'm grateful for our homeschool life today. A life that has included enough time for me to pass along to the children the things that are important to me as a person, not just as the signer of permission slips. We've been blessed with this life, that has not included bus schedules and late bells. It has included discussions about architecture, art, religion, philanthropy, humor, rock music and fast cars. We're big admirers of Paul Newman in our school. He was an actor, a race car guy, a very cool dude who was devoted to his wife, his family and philanthropy. Rest in Peace, Paul Newman. You were loved.