Most of my life, I knew there was this basic list of educational options for kids.  It included the following:
1. Public school
2. Private school

Though in my mind and in my own experience growing up, the list looked more like this:
1. Private school

When ​​​I had just one child and lived with my parents, the list looked like this:
1. Private school
2. Fancy private school

Currently:
1. Homeschool

I'm not entirely sure how that happened.  Yet here we are, homeschoolers by default (mostly). Over the last however many years our schooling options, opinions, and mindsets have evolved.  Priorities shifted.  Prayers were said.  Things changed.  ​​And by process of elimination, we became those "weird" homeschoolers.  Let me explain...

We can't afford private school.  So that takes care of that "option". 

​​The local public schools proved themselves to be definitely NOT an option.  I'll try not to delve too deep into why and I certainly don't want you to think I have a "thing" against public schools in general.  I don't.  But I do have a "thing" against the Vice Principal who gave me prior notice that he would falsify grades in my son's Algebra 2 class (and then actually did so!).  I'm also not fond of the lackluster teaching staff or the outright refusal by some to help my learning-disabled son. Of course I also have a "thing" against the entire district because they didn't follow their own policies after the gun threat incident.  But that was only "blip" on their radar, so I'm supposed to have found that comforting.  I also had a "thing" when my oldest son was forced to take a standardized test for a class he wasn't even in - because the school knew he would score high and wanted to "boost" their numbers.  Then there was this other "thing" about how the guidance counselor and district staff answered my questions with untruths and illegalities - because either THEY didn't know better (which is a problem in itself) or because they thought I didn't know better.  Well, I did know better.  All of this nonsense essentially eliminated the local public schools from our list of schooling options, but like I said, I don't wanna get too deep into this. 

While all this was happening,  I kept feeling more and more like school absolutely dictated our lives.  We can't travel when we want because of school. We can't have lunch together as a family because of school.  We give up like 40 hours a week together because of school!  Why is that normal?  Why is that desirable?  And since when did it become a good idea to send your children off to a bunch of strangers because what? - you think they can do a better job that YOU can?  Ohhh riiiiight, because they need to "socialize".  If that's true, then it must also be true that if you go to traditional school you will turn out perfectly well-adjusted and appropriately socialized.  That's a boatload of bu!!$hi^ I'll discuss on a different day. But really, I'm just grateful for to privilege of having homeschooling be an option for our family.

So by default (or perhaps by design!), homeschooling became us.  And now the list of educational options for our children looks like this:

1. Endless​.  

One of our MOST popular series for older readers (ages 14+), The Phoenix Files are exciting and full of mystery and plot twists.  Follow main character Luke as he and his friends discover how an evil corporation is plotting to destroy the human race.  They only have 100 days to save the world.  My oldest kid LOVES these books.  He has read the first 5 and can't wait to start the 6th! 
Offered at $6.99 USD paperback or $36.99 for the entire collection.​

UBAM offers 22 different Wipe-Clean books two combo packs "Getting Ready for School" and "Starting School" plus one amazing collection.  Wipe-Clean books are sturdy and durable.  With the accompanying dry-erase marker, your kids can use these activity books over and over and over!  My favorite thing about these books is that they aren't consumable!  When my 5 year old outgrows his, I can easily pass them along to his little sister.  These are perfect for when you need to occupy the kids in a waiting room or while traveling.  Prices start at $7.99. 

I have three kids in three very different developmental stages.  As a good friend pointed out while I was pregnant with my third: "You're going to have an infant, a toddler, and a teenager at the same time.  That's, like, the three hardest stages and you're going to have them all at once."  Yeah, thanks for that, Captain Obvious. Of course life can be hard.  Sometimes I want to cry or throw things or move out, but mostly I manage.  I try not only to survive, but to thrive on this continuum of change I call my life.
My oldest is 15, hyperactive, and we definitely medicate that nonsense.  With medication he is so much more engaged, responsive, and productive.  He can focus with deliberation on his school work and daily living activities.  As described by many of his former teachers, he is a "veracious" reader.  He is current working on a couple of Usborne series - The Debt and The Phoenix Files.   My husband and I have the opposite problem of most parents, we have to make our son stop reading.  Sometimes he reads so much it interferes with his responsibilities and with our together-time. 
Our second son is 5 and quite the opposite of a veracious reader.  He is what you might refer to "reluctant".  Essentially, ​he has very little interest in books at all.  It's just not his thing.  He doesn't like to read or be read to very much at all...which is why I was so surprised after I ordered my first book from Usborne, because my little man LOVED it!  He carried it around with him, wanted to read it multiple times a day, and even started taking it to bed with him.  It was amazing.  There is something special about Usborne books, I swear!  They are just BETTER!  I just realized too, that some of the few favorites he has had over the years are also Usborne/Kane Miller titles, like Everyone Poops and the Touchy-Feely Jungle. 
Our youngest is a "sweet" girl of 2,5 years.  She has been a book lover for her entire little life.  I often find her parked in front ​of our bookshelves, books spread out all over the floor, as she quietly reads one after another.  Naturally our home library has expanded to include books with princesses and ballerinas - you know, the essentials for a girl in her 2's.  I am grateful that her interest in reading helps to engage her big brother.  I included a picture of her sitting with her best, good friend having a late-night reading session.  Us mamas were there, too, sipping on wine and sharing our fantastical plans for "when our kids no longer live with us".  Just kidding.  No I'm not. 
So while it is sometimes a struggle to maintain sanity while mothering, I have a ton of support from family and wine-drinking friends.  Plus I know I can always pawn my kids off on to some good books, and not feel guilty about it in the least!​

A Kane Miller published short story of young Marc and his inability to fall asleep.  Not to worry, though, his mother gladly helps by offering all sorts of super silly solutions.  This would be great for nap or bedtime, or when traveling to a new place.  Offered at $5.99 USD paperback 

Find more Kane Miller titles here​

A personal favorite, the story of a little boy who is afraid of new situations and sometimes experiences self-doubt. This confidence-building story inspires kids of all ages (and their parents!) to persevere and expect the best.  From "What if it's hard? What if you're bad? What if they laugh and make you feel sad" to "What if the chance I take in the end is just how I find my very best friend?", the message in this book is powerful!  Available in paperback and library binding, as an app, and in a bundle. 
Offered at $6.99 USD, paperback

I spent a decade working as an addictions counselor. I have seen thousands of people at their absolute worst, heard some horrifying stories, and witnessed countless lives unravel - many into hopelessness, despair, prison, and death. In a previous post I called my husband's job "demanding, harsh, unforgiving, and sometimes deadly" but let me tell you, friends, railroading can't hold a candle to addictions, it's not even close. The anguish of those suffering in addiction is severe and pervasive, but personally, I always saw a light.  And that light was hope, redemption and grace. I was merely a tool for those thousands of people, designed to be used for rebuilding their lives and their faith. For ten years that was my job.  Then one day in 2011, life changed! 
After working many months as the Program Director for a start-up facility in St. Augustine, the owner sat me down and told me he could no longer pay me.  I wasn't "fired", but he couldn't afford to keep paying me. So that ended that!
My husband and I made the decision that I would not seek another job and instead stay home with our two sons.  I panicked. I knew life was taking a drastic turn and I was afraid. So I drove to our church in the middle of the day, went right upstairs to the office and told them I wanted to increase the amount of our monthly offering. I needed to give.  
Since then we have been blessed more abundantly that I could have imagined.  We were able to buy a house, (our very own house, yay!) that we had built just for us. I have more time with my children. I have more time with my husband! We are able to pay our bills, save money, and even splurge on things from time to time. (ok, fine. Maybe it's more often than that). Our most precious blessing arrived after a third dreadful pregnancy (that's a story for another day) and is now two years old. Nice story, but what does all of this have to do with Usborne Books?
That day I drove to church I felt a certainty in my heart. I knew that was exactly what I was supposed to do. I felt the same way when I started with Usborne. There is a purpose to this for me and every day I wake up excited to learn more about what it is! Perhaps that is the greatest blessing of all, to have and know my purpose.  
  

Usborne has over 50 "Beginners" books on topics like animals, adventures, science, transportation, and weather and other natural phenomenon.  Sold individually or in collections, these hardback titles may be particularly useful to homeschooling families.  While these are designed for readers aged 5-7, you will find them full of accurate and succinct information that readers of all ages can use and understand. 

Offered at $4.99 USD

Here it is Labor Day and my husband is at work. Story of my life, people! The railroad life is not for everyone. I did the math on this and for about three years now, he has literally been at work more than he has been home. Then subtract commuting time and the hours of sleep he is almost always in desperate need of and we are left with very little time together.  In a typical week, he goes days without laying eyes on our three children. Duty calls him to rise before the sun does, and often times he is isn't home until the kids are asleep. I've said many times that he is "taking care of his family at the expense of his family." To compare myself to a military, police officer's, or fireman's wife seems insensitive, and yet we have so much in common! Our husbands work in environments that are demanding, harsh, unforgiving, and sometimes deadly.  At times I fear for his safety and how his actions could affect others.  But it pays the bills and seven years in, he still enjoys it.  If I'm speaking honestly here, what I love most about his job is the freedom it allows me.  I haven't had a real job in 5 years, I've started homeschooling the kids and I can travel almost any time I want to. I'm spoiled, I know, but I am so grateful for this man, for the railroad, and for the "tracks" we have chosen to follow together. 

A favorite in our home! One of my five-year-old's favorite topics is learning about bodies and how they work - human bodies, animal and insect bodies.  We have read this book countless times.  The "See Inside" books are designed for ages 7+ but with adult help, he can fully participate in everything this book has to offer.  Loaded with "flaps", kids can literally get an inside peek at things like breathing, bones and muscles, the senses, & more.  The "See Inside" books are larger board books, specifically published that way to ensure durability.  Click the link below to see more!