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Mary Chris
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Location: Virginia
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If you are new to the board or have been here for a while please introduce yourself here.
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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cathhomeschool
Board Moderator
Texas Bluebonnets
Joined: Jan 26 2005
Location: Texas
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Posts: 7303
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2009 Member Introductions
2008 Member Introductions
2007 Member Introductions
2006 Member Introductions
2005 Member Introductions
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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amyable
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Joined: March 07 2005
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Sooo...are you saying, everybody? 
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Chari
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Yep, Amy.....EVERYBODY!!! 
You go first! 
I will come back later with mine.
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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amyable
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LOL, thanks!
I'm Amy, mom to 4 girls (right now 11, 9, almost 6, 3) and a boy (1 year old). I've been married to my ever-wonderful dh for almost 15 years. Other than a brief 3 month stint for my oldest in a Montessori preschool, we've homeschooled from the beginning.
Our curriculum could best be described as eclectic - I tend to keep trying new things to find what works for my kids, who have wildly different learning styles and abilities. The undercurrent of every year has always been our read alouds and discussion of them. This has gotten us through many crazy times! Personally, I love to read and try new crafts but am more of a Renaissance woman and spread myself thin instead of getting good at any one thing.  
These kind, generous and courageous people here at 4Real allow me to keep posting despite my obvious drain on their patience! (and my overuse of emoticons)
Seriously, I am so grateful for the moderators and members here at 4 Real. I don't know what I would do without the friends I've made here. 
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Maryan
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I'm Maryan. Mom of 5 boys (I'm SuzanneG's negative). We do a little bit of this and a little bit of that including Mother of Divine Grace (MODG), Mater Amabilis, Montessori, Right Start and Elizabeth's book and suggestions. Lately, we've added a couple CHC and Abeka workbooks to our "curriculum" as this January we are playing catch-up.
I love the liturgical year, dessert, basketball, whipped cream, and coffee. I could go on... but my house would be trashed as I wrote about all my "loves."
I haven't been posting as much lately as I'm trying to get "our stuff in order." Although it feels like I've been doing that for a while??? Hmm...
to the Moderators for all their work!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Mackfam
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Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
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I'm Jennifer Mackintosh. I've been married to my favorite guy for 16 years now  and we have 4 beautiful children in our care - from age 12 to 10 months. We've been homeschooling from the beginning and it has been a journey of learning the entire time.
Peeking into our home through the windows you'd see Charlotte Mason's philosophies, Maria Montessori's philosophies, REAL learning (unit studies, rabbit trails), some beautiful craft materials, an explosion of nature treasures, and a smattering of something from just about every Catholic curriculum provider out there. We take what is beautiful and bend it a smidge to fit our home and our family...so I'm thinking Amy's description of eclectic homeschooling fits 99% of the members here including us! I love to learn about new philosophies.
This board has been such an immense blessing in my life, and extending into my family. I love coming here and learning new ways (and old ways) of living the liturgical year. And, I am so comforted and uplifted that so many here have "been there, done that" so I can walk where they've walked and benefit from their wisdom.
I love learning from the women here.
My likes...Pepsi, cafe' au lait in the morning, chocolate, crawfish etouffe' (note the food theme ), Jane Austen, movie night with my dh, curling up with a good book, organizing my pantry, and visiting with all of you!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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AlwaysLearning
Forum Newbie
Joined: Aug 15 2007
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Oh boy! My first post! I've been reading this forum for years (even back in the yahoo groups days), but haven't been able to post due to an error on my part. Janette cleared things up though and now I am able to post...thanks! I have learned so much from all of you and am looking forward to learning more!
I've been married to my wonderful husband for 21 years and we have been blessed with 6 children-3 boys and 3 girls. Our oldest ds just started college this year. He was homeschooled through 8th grade then attended high school. He made a fine transition to college, but we all miss him. It was so wonderful to have a month together at Christmas, but boy it was tough to say goodbye when he headed back again. 
We have been homeschooling for 12 years and are currently homeschooling dd grade 10, dd grade 8, ds grade 5, ds grade 1 and are enjoying our sweet little 3 year old dd. We use a mixture of MODG and Charlotte Mason.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts and ideas. My kids are thrilled with the new ideas I learn here and our lives are richer because of all of you.
Peace to you and your families,
Karen
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Maryan
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Welcome Karen!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Natalia
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Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Louisiana
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Hi! I am Natalia.
I have been married to my wonderful dh for 18 years (Our anniversary was Jan. 4th) I am the mother of three children, a girl (15) and two boys (11 and 6-soon to be 7). We have been homeschooling since my oldest was 1st grade. Last year we started the high school adventure which brought a whole different aspect of homeschooling.
As for what we use for homeschooling, we have always been very eclectic in our approach. I have never found that I can "marry" a particular approach. Right now we are using Classical Conversations for all three of my kids with lots of living books thrown in.
I am an avid reader. If I have free time you are going to find me either curled up with a book or at the computer. I also like to cook and try out new recipes, read organizing type books that I have troubles implementing but that make for great dreaming
I love this board and come here anytime I have a question.
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Natalia
http://pannuestrodecadadia.blogspot.com
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PDyer
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My name is Patty. I have two children, a son and a daughter. My son was homeschooled until about a year ago, and now he goes to our local parish school. He is twelve years old. My daughter is seven years old and is home with me. We're using bits of Serendipity, A Picture Perfect Childhood, Singapore Math, First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, Faith and Life and CHC for First Communion prep and...that's all I can think of right now.
We live in Ohio. We've been married for fifteen years and my husband is a CPA with his own practice. I like to read here because you all set a wonderful example of Catholic living, and I have so much to learn!  Thanks to all of you for being here!
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Schelleau
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Hi! My name is Schelle, I am Australian.
I have two boys - Wombat will be 3 in March and Munchkin is coming up to 6 months. I've been lurking around this forum and most of your blogs ever since Wombat was born 
I have learnt so much from you all, I am very honoured to step out from the shadows and join your community! I enjoy all forms of craft, reading and writing, and I am doing my best to educate myself in order to educate my children! (I have two university honours degrees, in english and law, but I believe in learning as a process that continues for your whole life.)
I expect my approach to homeschooling will be quite eclectic - I have been exploring Montessori concepts and am currently reading Charlotte Mason's books (was SO glad to find a free electronic source for them! http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html)
At the moment I guess we are 'unschooling' as I make up lessons on the spot based on whatever catches the boys' attention I have taught as a catechist in the past and plan to return when Munchkin is a little older, and I am sure I will learn so much here that will help me both with my own boys and with the religious education of other children entrusted to my care.
Thank you!!!
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Mackfam
Board Moderator
Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
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Posts: 14656
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| Posted: Jan 17 2009 at 12:00pm | IP Logged
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Welcome Karen and Schelle!!! I'm so happy that both of you have decided to come out of lurkdom and contribute here!!! These are such an amazing group of ladies here (which you both already know! ) and I'm so happy to have you join our conversations. The more voices, the better! Welcome, welcome!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Rachel May
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Joined: June 24 2005
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I'm going to add in my favorite introduction thread to Janette's list:
I'm Maryan and You Are
I'm not Maryan; I'm Rachel.
I use MODG to tell me what to teach, and Real Learning to show me how to teach it. I'm a big proponent of not recreating the wheel and letting smart people do the thinking for me. That said, I often choose a different resource to teach what MODG suggests, and I like to have small unit studies to mix things up a bit.
My husband is in the Army, and I joined the forum 3 moves ago. My personal mantra is "I'm an idiot." I say it at least a thousand times a day. I type with more confidence than I really have. I do know a few people here IRL too which makes the forum even more precious to me since I would never have met them without it.
This week for school we are making apple tart to celebrate Charles FINALLY memorizing "The Cow."
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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aussieannie
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Joined: May 21 2006
Location: Australia
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Posts: 7251
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Are you sure you want to get me going? Ok, here I go:
Hi! My name is Anne, friends and family will call me 'Annie' from time to time..as a term of endearment, hence my board name 'aussieannie'
I'm from Australia, in the beautiful state of Queensland where it is hot and humid in summer and just perfect autumn and spring and a winter that most would be enviable of! We live by the sea.
I have been married 15 years, married on my 23rd birthday! We have been greatly blessed with 3 boys and 3 girls, ranging from 14years to 1 year (yesterday was Annuncia's 1st birthday! )
I knew before having children I would homeschool, I suppose you could say I was greatly effected by my schooling years and realised there is a price for defending your faith day after day when you are so young.  It is something many don't 'get' they think hard knocks in childhood greater prepares them for the trials of adulthood, but I believe that is wrong. I saw the need for children's self esteem and individuality to be protected and nurtured to ensure maximum flourishment in adulthood. This is what I sensed back then 2 decades ago, I now know that the practise of it is true, my children love people and love life!
I'm electic in approach and I laughed when I read Jennifer,
Mackfam wrote:
| a smattering of something from just about every Catholic curriculum provider out there. |
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OOOOH yeah!!  Me too! 
I love reading and being creative, whether that is beading, portraiture or singing gregorian chant...as long as there is a little time for a bit of personal creative expression, I'm grateful!
I'm am very passionate about health and have a special love for God's herbs. My goal for this year is to build a bigger and beautiful garden patch complete with picket fence, so I can grow comfrey, stinging nettle, dandelion, herb robert, oh yes, better not forget a lettuce or two!!
In my life my earthly mother has prayed fervently for me in all life's trials and tribulations, it has taught me something beautiful about mothering and the power of a mother's prayer. It has also pointed me the way to a heavenly mother beyond all earthly mothers, I still marvel over her love for me..for all mankind.
I am a very passionate person and can have strong opinions on things but my late father's words resonate within me, "But for the grace of God go I."
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Under Her Starry Mantle
Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Blessed with 3 boys & 3 girls!
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aussieannie
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Joined: May 21 2006
Location: Australia
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Welcome Karen and welcome Schelle!
Great to see another Australian Schelle. I'd LOVE to be back where you are, starting my schooling life again with the oldest so young....actually my homeschooling life and support for my Catholic mothering really flourished after coming to 4Real, so this is the perfect time to come on board! 
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Under Her Starry Mantle
Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Blessed with 3 boys & 3 girls!
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monique
Forum Pro
Joined: Sept 11 2007
Location: Wyoming
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My name is Monique Holmes. I live in WY with my husband and 5 children. I have one daughter, 11 1/2, and four sons age 9 1/2, 7, 4, and 20 months. We've been married for almost 15 years.
We started with Abeka and are slowing moving to a more Catholic curriculum. However, I have always included a lot of read aloud books with all the children. I only wish I had been exposed to this board and the Catholic curriculums earlier in our homeschooling experience.
I have been very blessed by this board. You have helped me through some very rough times and are always so supportive and reassuring. I enjoy new ways of learning and teaching as well as the great mothering/homemaking ideas that are here. And the best part is the how faithful the board is to the Church.
We have homeschooled from the beginning. However, after much hardship, I enrolled my 9 1/2 year old son in school last week. It was a heartbreaking decision. I miss him so much and I hate having him there. He wasn't happy at home. I tried everything to help him at home but he just did not get the picture. He is doing well so far in school. We've had a few bumps in the road but hopefully his teachers can be more patient with him than his parents had become. I'm hoping I can bring him home eventually or that we can move to a different town so that he can at least go to a Catholic school.
I enjoy reading, walking, and working on my computer. I'm hoping to one day have a work at home job indexing books. My husband is an engineer for Union Pacific and works whenever they call at all hours of the day. It makes for a crazy and hectic life with no predictability, however, somehow we manage.
I'm enjoying getting to "know" everyone.
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Monique
mom to 5
Raising Saints
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mom2mpr
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Joined: May 16 2006
Location: N/A
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Posts: 1550
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Hello all,
I am Anne. I have been hanging around here for a few years. Someday I might have a blog--when I get brave. Someday I may be able to keep up with all the cool discussions. Mostly, I come here for Catholic homeschool support. I have learned a lot about my faith from people here. I don't know what I would do without this forum to come to with my questions and my son's tough questions. So, thank you. It is amazing that a bunch of "strangers" has truly impacted our family in a positive way.
I have been homeschooling since ds was little. He never went to school. He is now 11 years. He has thrived and seems to enjoy it(most days ). Dd is 6 and in K. We use Singapore Math, Sonlight for history(we just returned to SL3 after a 3 year break), Winston Grammar, LA through life and lot's of resources for learning the faith, most often picked up on here.
I will be married 15 years in August. I am trying to decide if to celebrate we should take a camping trip to Acadia National Park with the kids(my dh proposed on Cadillac Mountain at sunrise and we took a honeymoon week there, too) or buy us a bedroom set. Hmmmmmmm....
Dh works at a big global company in management-however he works in teeny tiny part of the big company. He was an engineer and a computer geek and in sales at different times in his life. I used to work in administration for an HMO before kids and will not go back til health care gets its act together-which probably won't be for a long time. Plus, I am a little busy here .
When I have a rare chance to do something I want to I enjoy, photography, exercise, reading and cleaning(really!).
Good to meet you all.
Anne
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Mamamoon
Forum Rookie
Joined: Nov 21 2007
Location: California
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hello, i am lisa, mama of two girls. this is my second year homeschooling the 7 year old, and will begin schooling my 4 year old at kinder. we live in northern california, 5 hours north of san francisco.
i never dreamt i would homeschool my kids, but am finding it to be such an amazing experience. i love having all the time with my children, i could not imagine them away at school all day.
we use "real" learning, montessori, charlotte mason, and classical in our home.
one of the blessings i have found with homeschooling, is the extra time we have to really follow her passions, playing the harp, and lots of reading.
this board has helped me so much to find stength these past couple of years. i cannot believe the resources you all are!
lisa
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A firefighter's wife, and mama of two dancing princesses~
Creekside Wonder
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cprice0129
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Joined: Jan 21 2009
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| Posted: Jan 23 2009 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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Hello.
My name is Casey, my family and I live in South Carolina near Charleston. We moved here 4 years ago in March because my DH was transfered to the base here. DH, Adam, was in the Navy for 8 years and left the military in February last year. He now works for Google at their new data center nearby. We have 3 wonderful children B (8 1/2) Jakers (3 will be 4 in April) and Ally Cat (2). My oldest goes to public school and we're letting him finish out 3rd grade and then are strongly considering homeschooling him. Which is why I'm here. I'd like to learn as much as I can about homeschooling and all the available curricula and any other advice I can gather before starting with him this summer so that I'm well prepared.
We are frustrated with the state of the public schools in our area, we really cannot afford private school once all 3 children are school aged and feel that the kids aren't being taught the things that are necessary to make them well rounded, caring, faithful children and eventually adults. Public school is very culture oriented and its getting worse each passing year. When I found out that B's school will be teaching sex ed next year that was pretty much it. That and when a teacher sent home a vocabulary list that said the definition of nocturnal was "animals that avoid the heat of the sun day" and marked my son's test wrong when he stated that nocturnal animals were animals that slept during the day and were active at night.
My children love books, love music, love art, love nature, and in PS B just doesn't seem to be thriving well. We want to have all the information before we actually start and go in with a plan.
I like reading, listening to music, playing with my children, spending time with my DH, learning new things, and learning to cook better :)
AussieAnnie as well as my friend Marilyn both recommended this site to me to help with getting info on homeschooling and I can see why. There seems to be a wealth of information and I look forward to diving in and learning all I can and starting to HS the kids.
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Introductions 2009
