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SPRING 2017
HOMESCHOOL IOWA 5
T
he wind howled outside as the snow grew deeper and
the air colder. Around the table were gathered smiling
faces, mugs full of hot cocoa, and fresh baked cookies
laid on a napkin at their elbows. It was game day. Mother had
strategically hidden away some games she had acquired the
previous summer, in the big city, for just such a day. Laughter
filled the room as games with equations, balance sheets, and
words were played one right after the other. The texts that usu-
ally graced the table were left on the shelf that day in search of
chasing the winter blues away. As the day moved on, the sto-
rybooks full of adventures far away began to fill the room as
mother’s voice bounced off the walls. The little ones, weary of
the games, ventured to the new (to them) building blocks and
began creating the little cabin in the woods. As the afternoon
grew to a close the cabin fever that had entangled them sub-
sided and the smell of freshly made soup filled the air. Evening
was drawing near and mother was ready for her own adventures
of leafing through the various resource catalogs that graced her
nightstand, the perusing of the websites of events she wished
to attend, and the remembering of chasing away of the winter
blues with resources strategically acquired. Satisfaction filled her
soul. Hers is the story of homeschooling in Iowa.
He bounced. He fidgeted. He tapped. He hummed. Whose
idea was it to bring the 12-year-old boy along to a homeschool
conference that was 9 hours from home? Oh, wait; it was mine,
because leaving him home alone was probably an equally
preposterous idea. He loved the conference! But then there was
the bouncing, fidgeting, tapping, and humming home for an-
other 9 hours UNTIL the car speaker started bringing forth the
sounds and stories from a conference speaker. How else does
a homeschool mother fill 9 hours of travel, but with conference
CDs, of course. The tales of grand adventures soon filled the
car, and the bouncing, fidgeting, tapping and humming ceased
for an hour. As the speaker finished his presentation, the then
12-year-old boy proclaimed that Homeschool Iowa HAD to bring
this speaker in to speak because other moms and dads need to
hear “this stuff”. The workshop title that had this boy in stitches
was none other than
Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would
Rather Make Forts All Day,
by Andrew Pudewa. This is the story of
a 12-year-old homeschooling in Iowa.
There she stood with tears streaming down her face. The babe
snuggled up to her chest was just a few precious weeks old, and
the man with her was discouraged. He had brought her here as a
gift – a much-needed getaway and the babe had cried the entire
previous night, leaving them both exhausted. “Was there a place
his wife could relax? Were there any experienced homeschool
mothers, with lots of little ones at home, that could speak with
my wife?” (The babe in her arms was number 6 or 7). “Was there
any way for her to listen to the workshops online? Can you help
my wife, please?” A mentoring homeschool mother was sought,
a room for her comfort was found, and a computer and some
CDs of previously recorded workshop sessions were made avail-
able. She spent her time resting and listening as the mentoring
mother held the babe, sharing stories and tales of homeschool-
ing lots of littles. The next morning, the happy young couple
with this precious babe could be found resembling newlyweds,
as they walked about the conference. It is amazing what a few
encouraging words from a mentoring mother and some quiet
space can do for a homeschool marriage. Theirs is the story of
homeschooling in Iowa.
Pink. Lots of Pink. It was the only color in her wardrobe, or so
I thought. Bubbles was her email address, and a perfect one at
that. Everything she did was bubbly, happy, lively, and full of fun.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
FINDING YOUR NICHE
By Kristyn Yoder
THESE ARE
THE STORIES OF HOMESCHOOLING
IN IOWA