So, I have been wanting to homeschool my two older grandsons for quite sometime now…I would bring it up randomly with Krystal from time to time.  I think I started thinking about it when Collin got bullied on the school bus. He must have been 8 or 9 and was sitting on the bus when some kid came over to him and took his hat off. Collin asked for it back and the kid hit him and started calling him names. I usually picked the boys up at the bus stop, but for some reason I couldn’t be there that day.  When Krystal got them, Collin ran into the car, shoved his whole little body on the floor board, and cried all the way home.  We couldn’t get him out of his room all night.

That experience changed all of us. Collin changed…he wasn’t as open and was afraid to talk to people. Before that day he could easily make friends when we went to a park or a social gathering. However, after that he had doubt’s about his ability to make friends and his studded became more pronounced. I was heart broken!!  My little Collin had been changed by some child that really had no idea how his actions affected someone else’s life. I could see part of his spirit for life fade away. I couldn’t bare to have such a beautiful soul go through that abuse and pain.

I know…I know…some people say “well it only makes them stronger”, “stop babying him”. Well as far as those people are concerned they can Kiss My Southern Grits.  Anyone with children know the joy of watching them learn to walk, and talk. The joy in their faces when they learn new things, the excitement they have, the joy they experience, the wonder they are. Just to see it wash away from their face the first time they feel the pain, the shame, the deep hurt from someone who doesn’t care how they are treating another person, breaks my heart!

For them to learn how to handle a bully they shouldn’t have to go through that type of bullying so young. In adult life that isn’t something you experience daily, at least that isn’t something I have experienced. And by all that is good, my G-Kids don’t need to experience that kind of crap! So…the question was…how to convince Krystal and the younger boys dad? So little by little, I have been bringing it up to them….just, you know…throwing it out there.

This year both boys were struggling in school. Collin normally got A’s or B’s and all of a sudden he was failing in language and getting D’s in Math. Matthew was always behind his class mates, and once again they were talking about holding him back a grade. So “Hey Krystal, you know I could homeschool them” Her argument was always “Why? You know you will have 4 kids here all the time?” And yes all 4 boys…all the time is a lot!!!!!  However, they didn’t question it during the summer or on spring break when I had to deal with all four and somehow we managed!

Don’t get me wrong…I was very happy to see Krystal walk in the door after a long day with the boys. I would say a few prayers during the day to the “Gods” to get me through the day…but we got through it!!!

Then one day…it finally happened…Krystal said yes….to Collin anyway. Now I had to figure out how to accomplish it. I mean, to think about it…and to actually do it, was totally different!! Not to mention that I had spent a lot of time harping to her…so I really needed to look like I knew what I was talking about.  Bring on the research!