We are a Christian homeschooling family living in Wisconsin.  Charles is the dad, and I am the mom of Stephanie, Nicole, David, and Jacob who are 14, 12, 9, and 3 respectively.  I'm from Italy.  I moved here in 1986 soon after I met Charlie in New Orleans.  I had been a tourist, and the Lord worked out His wonderful plan is spite of my very rebellious and pagan heart.  Through Charlie I heard God's truth for the first time, and also heard about homeschooling.  In Italy homeschooling is very uncommon.  People there don't even consider it as an option.  Even if a mother stays home she still feels obligated to send her three year old to a daycare center, where kids "learn to socialize."  I've spent hours educating family and friends there in the reasons we homeschool.  It seems strange to them that I don't take advantage of the "free" school system and all the "wonderful things" it has to offer, and they worry that somehow my kids won't learn everyday social skills.  How wrong they are.

            I thank the Lord that He brought me to this country where I have learned about salvation through Jesus, and where my husband and I have the freedom to raise our children in what we believe is the only way: at home and secure from worldly influences during the critical years.  We decided we would homeschool even before our oldest was born.  I had recently graduated from college and was looking forward to a career, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was truly excited about staying home with my child full time.  I took it as an awesome adventure and blessing to see my children progress in knowledge and faith every moment of the day.

            In our home we start our day with us sitting on the living room couch and praying.  Then we read the Bible together.  Each child has his own Bible, and as we read I suggest passages they should underline.  We have just finished 1 Corinthians.  Next, I read a chapter of a book in English and then one chapter in an Italian book.  This helps me to keep up with my native language, because I really think mostly in English after all these years.  The kids are doing well in Italian, too, as we spend much time speaking Italian as we can.  I love this time when I get to snuggle up with them; we've been doing it for years, and every day I thank the Lord that we can still do this.  As I read, I allow the children to draw, and during these sessions they have produced some of their best drawings.

            Math is next.  The girls do Saxon math, and David will start with Saxon next year.  Jacob, the youngest, plays very well on his own or sits on my lap doing his school, which consists of sculpting with play-dough, coloring, and learning to write and draw.

            Each day of the week we'll focus mainly on one subject: Mondays we do history; Tuesday is science, and so on.  We are now going through Old World History and Discovering God's World (A Beka Book).

            I am very flexible and don't really make long-term plans.  I feel that learning must parallel life, and has to be led by curiosity.  I often allow the kids to take the lead in their discoveries and wonders.  If one day they have a new interest I then help them in searching out more on the subject.  Or maybe they want to learn to use the dictionary, or write a poem, or write a letter to a relative in Italy, or study turtles in the pond.  Learning is not to be limited by what one book says.  We have many reference books, magazines, and boxes of "art material," all located on low shelves and easily accessible, not to mention lots of "dress up clothes."

            One of our family's very favorite activities is to go out and do street ministry together, passing out tracts and holding gospel signs.  It is amazing to see how much our children have learned about "logic," "debate," and "public speaking" by listening to conversations between us and the public.  We minister on university campuses, at farmers' markets, and at festivals, and we participate in pro-life pickets.  This activity has made for an extremely powerful education, as our children have been able to see that definite line between those who are saved and those who are not.  They get to experience first-hand how the absence of God in the unbelievers' lives affects their attitude and lifestyle, and what a blessing it is to be on God's side.  And these things they hear right from the unbelievers' mouths.  There is no greater joy for Charlie and I than to see even our youngest children stand up for God as they competently answer questions from seekers and naysayers of all ages.

            Ten years ago my husband chose to become a self-employed private investigator, and that meant he would be very flexible with his schedule and be able to spend more time with the family.  The children take turns going out with him on jobs as he locates missing persons, serves papers, or digs up information.  They always look forward to their day out with Daddy.  He has a website for his business at www.secretplaces.net/sterling.  We also have a business (www.stoney-river.com) in which we make soaps, lotions, and bath products.  The children have been able to see the business start up and develop.  They help with wrapping, packaging, and choosing new scents.  One or another of the kids often attend a craft show with me and they enjoy meeting the people there and also those that stop by out house to purchase products.

            Our oldest, Stephanie, is a techno-freak, and has built her own website (www.secretplaces.net/teentruth) as a way to minister to Christian teens, share her street-ministry experiences, and spread the word of God.  Our kids all play music and sing, draw and paint, write stories, make quilts, sew, and build forts in the woods.  They enjoy having plenty of time to be creative.

            I guess we just like it at home.  Our children were all born at home, (three in the same bed) we work from home, our church fellowship meetings are in the home, and we educate our children at home.  Truly it has been blessing to be able to - not merely teach out children to read and write - but to have the time to fully share with them our hobbies and interests, our work lives, and our faith.  We can already see the righteous fruit of homeschooling and consistent parenting, and I thank the Lord daily for the joy he brings into out homes as we strive to obey Him.