My two boys, 10 & 13, have learned at home, always. We do our best to encourage interest led learning, and throw in a smattering of math and an occasional spell check for fun. It is more critical to me that my kids have a desire to learn and an interest in life than an ability to regurgitate facts on demand. And, yet, they do manage to spout some impressive facts on occasion.

Almost a year ago, we packed our bags and left a rural piece of California behind in favor of the island life. The move is not permanent – yet – so for the time being we are living in an ohana (the Hawaiian version of a granny unit) on the Kona Coast where snorkeling, ukulele and white rice have become part of our regular routine.

(this of course begs an answer to the question that comes to the forefront of everyone’s mind. No, we are not rich. My husband works full time and I work part-time. We are frugal and not interested in owning stuff so much as having experiences, which frees up a lot of the usual baggage that goes with the bank account for us. The house we are renting has linoleum that dates to the 70s and my kids share a room. No high falutin’ going on here!)

I am a freelance writer and book author in my abundant spare time. I’m not new to blogging – I have a blog related to my first book here – but this is my first attempt at being a “homeschool blogger”.

Stick with me, and you’ll hear about our homeschool adventures, island life and even a bit about the publishing world, which has become as much a part of my kids’ education as anything else. Really; how many kids understand the process of getting an article from my desktop to a glossy magazine or the concept of royalties or the necessity of blurbs?

I hope you’ll find something valuable here to take away!