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The Sociable Homeschooler — Kids & Family
The Sociable Homeschooler

Have you ever wondered how people just like you manage to homeschool their children and apparently love every moment of it? Are you ready to give up the formative years of your children’s lives to a stranger? Do you think homeschoolers are weird? Does the word, homeschool, bring to mind Birkenstocks, jumpers, and hairy legs? Honestly half my family fit the hairy leg stereotype…so who cares? I’m here to help you let go of any pre-conceived notions you may have about home educators. Forget all the excuses ever made under the sun for not homeschooling and listen to my show which is a generous mix of my life as the oxymoron, Sociable Homeschooler, international guests from all walks of life and light hearted views and comments about education and basements. I will also bend your ear with excerpts from my soon to be published book, also entitled, The Sociable Homeschooler, which chronicles many good causes for why my blue eyed cowboy and I chose to go off the deep end hand in hand with God and have everyone talking about us behind our backs and in the end winning them over. Come and be won over on Toginet Radio Live on Fridays, if only to get a weekly taste of Britain.

Latest Episodes:

Chasing After the De-Churched: Jules Rothacher Dec 14, 2012

Show notes

Joining me this week is a fellow blogger whom I met while popping over to a guest site one of my friends was writing for. Jules Rothacher has a heart for Jesus and she and her husband, with their young family, are missionaries currently serving in central Arkansas. You thought I was going to say Africa, didn‘t you? Jules writes about the fun adventures she, Matt (her hilarious hubs of almost 8 years), her children Magdalene, Isabella, and Benjamin are having with God in the lead. She is here with me to share the simple silliness of her every day where God can be found in the quirkiness around her home. With a four year old as their eldest they are just entering the realm of homeschooling and as if all that isn’t enough they are being called to Church Planting. Jules is going to be telling us all about that venture and more over a hot cuppa and a biscuit or two this Friday. So take an hour away from Christmas preparations and join me for a natter.

The Berlin Declaration: Mike Donnelly Dec 07, 2012

Show notes

Mike Donnelly, from the Home School Legal Defense Association, returns to my show this week after recently attending the Global Home Education Conference in Berlin. When he’s not keeping us updated with all things legal on the homeschooling front Mike serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for member affairs and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia. Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which he has shared with us over the years on my show. Mike and his hard working colleagues at HSLDA defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children and their convictions ensure that homeschooling remains a parental choice for all of us. This week we are going to be chatting about the Berlin conference and finish up with some of his fatherly wisdom when it comes to preparing for Christmas. So, curl up in your chair with a cup of tea and listen in this Friday.

Chasing Hard After God: Cara Putman Nov 30, 2012

Show notes

I am excited to welcome Cara Putman to my show today. I love speaking with graduated homeschoolers who bear witness to the fact that educating our children at home turns out well rounded, socially conscious individuals. Cara grew up as a homeschooled child when homeschoolers were misunderstood and oddities. She is an honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law. Cara lives in Indiana with her husband and four children whom she also homeschools while balancing her careers as an attorney and an author of fifteen published books. She is a teacher at her church as well as lecturer at Purdue. Cara claims to be just an ordinary mom who has seen God do some wonderful things in her life. Join us on Friday for a cup of tea while we talk about an amazing God who can work His strength in each of us.

Birds of the Air: Jessica Bowman Nov 23, 2012

Show notes

I met this week’s guest on Twitter and was intrigued by her story and you’ll have to join me to hear it from her own lips. Jessica Bowman blogs on faith and parenting and everything in between. She also writes books, most notably, Parenting Wild Things, Embracing the Rumpus, sometimes gets paid for spending time on her computer and cooks amazing things with beans! Jessica has been married to her high school sweetheart for more than 12 years and together they have 4 children whom they've crossed oceans and continents with. We are going to be talking about the de-churched, a growing group of Generation X'ers who are disillusioned with the institution for various reasons. You will also find out how to support Jessica and her family as they live their life of surrender to the Lord. Join me on Friday with your tea and hear Jessica’s extraordinary story, which she finds to be a very ordinary one, oftentimes difficult and daily enriched with miracles.

Balloon Wars & Lighting Plots: Walter Lemons Nov 16, 2012

Show notes

I am delighted to be talking to Walter Lemons this week, who was technical director of the Garland Performing Arts Centre which became our home away from homeschool many moons ago. Not many people made it passed us when it came to having an impact on our children’s lives, Walter did! He was instrumental in teaching them all the technical skills they would ever need to work backstage in every capacity. Once they had graduated from the Walter Lemons School of Technology they were ready to go...and go they have! Walter also became a cherished friend allowing his inner child to surface during balloon war summers and intense film making, not to mention marathon video game sessions and a change of pace when he began fostering Pyrenean Mountain dogs. Walter was an adult who watched over our children while they spread their wings in the backstage of a large facility allowing them to experiment, fail and explore. I think you will enjoy our natter this week as we talk about how our public service benefitted both him and his job as well as our children’s education. Don’t miss a word tune in this Friday for elevensies.

Large Family Living: Sherry Hayes Nov 09, 2012

Show notes

I am welcoming Sherry Hayes to my show this week. Sherry is the inspiring Christian mother of 15 wonderful children and has been homeschooling for 24 years. She has seen the “graduation” of seven of her children from her home in colorful Colorado and she and her husband, David, are enjoying rearing the remaining eight still under their tutelage. She has been a compassionate promoter of redemptive home educating for almost a quarter of a century and has maintained the belief that it’s God’s venue for national and world revival. In her spare time Sherry has been a proactive advocate for homeschooling, a key speaker for homeschool support groups, and a successful writer encouraging practical Biblical family living on her blog, Large Family Mothering. She has written two new books, Homeschool Sanity and McGuffey’s Primer Flashcards, Helps & Hints, to encourage and help to facilitate others who have decided to embark on the exhilarating journey. Join me on Friday and find out more about large family living.

Dancing With Hands: Dawn Prochovnic Nov 02, 2012

Show notes

Dawn Prochovnic is my guest this week and we are going to be exploring the benefits of signing with every member of our family! Dawn is an expert in ASL and her verbal descriptions on how to get our hands moving will have you hooked in no time. The beauty of watching an accomplished signer can only be described as poetry in motion and this is what captured her heart when she was a young teen. Dawn is the author of a series of sixteen picture books called Story Times with Signs and Rhymes which will delight young readers and parents alike. We will discover the benefits of learning to sign for all ages and circumstances including children with special needs, children who are advanced in their learning and babies who haven’t developed their verbal skills yet. Bring a hot drink this Friday to hear about how signing can enhance and enrich the whole family by increasing literacy skills and decreasing the volume level at home!

Papa's Pearls: Diane Flynn Keith Oct 26, 2012

Show notes

I am thrilled to welcome back Diane Flynn Keith this week as my guest. She is an alternative education specialist whose written and spoken words empower families to get the help their children need for a meaningful education at home. Diane claims that when you listen to her speak you won’t hear what’s being presented in high school or by the local school district. As a mother of two sons she had to get creative. In her house volunteer work, flight lessons, and performing in music bands passed as high school. This innovative way of looking at education paid off and her sons are both contributing members of society pursing productive careers in the music industry. Diane’s latest book is a tribute to her father who lived by a set of immutable truths learned through the school of hard knocks. Simply entitled Papa’s Pearls it is a father’s gift of love and wisdom to his children and grandchildren. Join us on Friday with your tea and a biscuit for some new techniques for taming wiggle worms and a look into the life of a beloved parent.

A Learning Adventure & Behaviour Matters: Sarita Holzmann & Dr. Susan Friedman Oct 19, 2012

Show notes

I am going to be talking briefly with Sarita Holzmann, the co-founder and president of Sonlight Curriculum for more than 20 years. Sarita is going to be telling us about a brand new charity project she is offering through Sonlight called a "learning and giving adventure" which has the potential to seriously impact many across the world. You don't have to participate in the charitable endeavor to access all the free videos and materials available, all you have to do is go to the website and join in the fun as Phoenix Phaxx travels to Russia, Bali, Jakarta, Cambodia and S. Korea to fulfill The Great Commission and bring the gospel to un-reached communities in the Far East through radio! In conjunction with the Far East Broadcasting Company, Sonlight is excited to bring a fund raiser, for homeschoolers, Sunday school classes and Christian families, right into your homes. Join me on Friday to learn more about this travel-filled adventure! I will also be welcoming to my show Dr. Susan Friedman, a behaviourist for more than thirty years and currently a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. Dr. Friedman’s area of expertise is learning and behaviour with a special emphasis on children's behaviour disorders. In the last several years, Susan has pioneered efforts to apply to animals the humane philosophy and scientifically sound teaching technology from the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis, which has been so effective with human learners. Dr. Friedman is a steadfast proponent of changing behaviour through positive re-inforcement rather than force and I am sure you’ll enjoy our conversation this Friday. Bring a cup of tea and discover the connections between environment and behaviour and our children and pets.

The Wildman Experiment: Ian & Simon McNeny Oct 12, 2012

Show notes

I am thrilled today that my brave sons, Ian and Simon McNeny, who lived in our house while my blue eyed cowboy and I were away in England for a year, have managed to happen away from their exciting lives to join me as my guests. It wasn’t until we returned to our home after 13 months that we became aware of The Wildman Experiment that had been taking place while we were away and I’m sure we’re in for a lively conversation. My oldest son, Ian, is a film maker here in Dallas where he is currently working on season 2 of the new series of Dallas, when not hobnobbing with the Ewings he freelances for a creative studio in Deep Ellum called Reel FX, where he has just edited a series of national commercials for Chuck E Cheese, look out for them over the holiday season. Ian also enjoys writing narrative screenplays and coming up with innovative ways to give old foods new tastes. Simon, is a Zoo Keeper at the Dallas Zoo where his special charges are the Okapi, part of the hoof stock. He enjoys giving talks and tours to families and loves the public. Simon is a rock climber and sometimes uses his talents to trim trees. He is sponsored by a climbing shoe company, Evolv, and a local flip flop company called Hari Mari. They have both been featured in their local community college magazine for their motivation to follow their dreams, graduate from college in less than four years and work in their fields thanks to homeschooling! Join me today and hear how the Wildman Experiment brought all of us together as we found out more about each other and how living apart could draw us closer!

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