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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:

Dying to Self: Gretchen Roe Apr 18, 2014

Show notes

This is Good Friday and true to form on this Solemn High Holiday I am taking you on a walk towards Calvary and beyond. Gretchen Roe, my friend for many years, is joining me on The Sociable Homeschooler, where I bust the stereotype of homeschooling, and together we are going to be looking at our lives through the eyes of God and exploring ways in which we can relate our day to day to the Cross of Redemption. Gretchen has some exciting news, both personal and professional, about her life recently and she will be sharing it with us on Friday. Together we will be talking about the real meaning of surrender and how it plays out in our busy families. We will reflect on our Saviour’s selfless example when He died for our sins and compare faith stories that can help us through the most trying of days when homeschooling seems to get lost in the world of change. Of course we will also be rejoicing over the resurrection and sharing Easter customs and traditions so come along on Friday at 12 noon Central and join Gretchen and me as we celebrate life with the Risen Lord.

The Edventure Project: Jennifer Miller Apr 11, 2014

Show notes

Jennifer Miller is back with me on The Sociable Homeschooler this week, to further support my philosophy that there is no stereotyping of this movement called homeschooling! Jennifer and her husband, Tony, with their four children, have taken a pause from their open ended tour of the world and are in New Hampshire until the end of May when they are all taking off on multiple adventures before reconvening for an Alaskan Cruise. If you know the Millers like I know the Millers, this will indeed be a change…for a week. I have no doubts that life aboard a floating hotel will be embraced by the whole family as yet another slice of experience to add to the uncommon childhood Jennifer and Tony are bequeathing their children. Pop over to www.edventureproject.com to discover how the Millers have spent the last many years in uninterrupted travel choosing to invest most of their time and money in memories that keep, instead of cars, clothes, knick-knacks and noisy toys, that rust or gather dust. Jennifer and her lifestyle will razzle and dazzle you and you’ll want to virtually, if not actually, join the family adventure wherever it takes them. Jennifer and Tony want their children to be able to dream big, do hard things, work like crazy, serve with their whole hearts and not be afraid to fall flat on their faces in the attempt of the seemingly impossible. Today we are going to be talking about how Jennifer is adapting to the changes occurring in her life and how she is encouraging her children forward in this last phase of childhood rather than holding onto them tightly. Join us this week with a cup of tea and meet my Radio friend who over the course of time has dropped everything she’s doing to talk to me and inspire all of us on our journey as homeschoolers and parents.

Beyond Buggies and Bonnets: Brenda Nixon Apr 04, 2014

Show notes

The last time I spoke to Brenda Nixon on my show she was a fellow host here on Toginet Radio with The Parents’ Plate. Today I am welcoming her back to The Sociable Homeschooler ,where homeschooling is a unique lifestyle, to talk about how her family has taken on a different dynamic with the inclusion of ex-Amish teenagers whom she has adopted. She is now known as the "Mom to the Ex-Amish" with a son-in-law, 2 adopted sons, and relationships with those who've left the most insular Swartzentruber Amish order. Today we’ll be talking about the Amish culture not found on TV or in fiction books. Brenda's blog, Beyond Buggies and Bonnets, has 70,000 readers world wide! She's writing a book about the struggles of Amish to assimilate to the "forbidden" English world, and about the life they left. Today Brenda and I are going to be talking about how she first became involved with this strict Amish order, the challenges she faced and how her first impressions of this culture have changed. Grab yourself a cuppa and join us on Friday at 12 noon Central.

Six Steps to Sanity: Allison Bottke Mar 28, 2014

Show notes

I am thrilled to have Allison Bottke, bestselling inspirational author and speaker, join me on my show this Friday, where homeschooling is a unique lifestyle. Best known for her Setting Boundaries ™ series from Harvest House Publishers, and 6 Steps to Sanity, Allison is an innovative, risk-taking, entrepreneurial woman whose life changed drastically when she found God to fill the empty place in her heart. Captivating readers and audiences with a mesmerizing tale of hope and healing, Allison Bottke lives and proclaims a powerful testimony of triumph over tragedy. Her transparent vulnerability, when addressing painful topics whether in books or on stage, enables Allison to connect with people in a very real and down-to-earth way as you will hear this week. Her international outreach includes 29 published non-fiction and fiction books, including the acclaimed Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children, Setting Boundaries with Aging Parents, Setting Boundaries with Difficult People, Setting Boundaries with Food, and Setting Boundaries for Women. A Young Woman’s Guide to Setting Boundaries for teen girls will release in summer 2014. Allison is a frequent guest on national radio and TV programs around the country, including Good Morning Texas, Focus on the Family, CBN.com, the 700 Club, Day Star Network, the Dr. Laura Show, and others, so bring your coffee and come and listen to Allison Bottke on my radio show on Friday at 12 noon Central on Toginet.

Effective Positive Thinking: Suzanne Glover Mar 21, 2014

Show notes

This week on The Sociable Homeschooler, where homeschooling is a unique lifestyle, I will be talking once again to Suzanne Glover, author, motivational speaker, hypnotherapist, actress and personal development professional. Suzanne joined me on January 17th where we broke open the possibility of re-training our brains to think positively and to let go of deep-seated beliefs we may be carrying around with us that may not be true. Do you want to get more out of life? Do you want to be your best? Are you just too tired to positively overcome those negative thoughts and feelings you keep having? Did you know that 90% of our thoughts come from the people around us? Suzanne has a unique approach to helping people do the hard work of re-inventing themselves so they can change their unconscious, limiting beliefs about their lives. By using positive thinking techniques Suzanne can help you tap into some extraordinary tools that work inside and out for better communication, presentation and a successful mindset. Suzanne's life of accomplishments comes from her continued desire to re-engineer herself and those around her. She offers an intuitive approach to finding answers within ourselves and believes that we all have the power to be our best! Curl up on a comfy couch and prepare to breathe deeply this Friday at 12 noon Central, on Toginet Radio.

Help Svetlana: Kim de Blecourt Mar 14, 2014

Show notes

I’m delighted to welcome back, Kim de Blecourt as my guest this week. Kim came on my show last year to talk about her heart wrenching experience while adopting her son from Ukraine. Before Kim became involved with International Adoptions she spent over 13 years in corporate human resources and was a corporate trainer. She is now on staff with Food for Orphans as their Life Changing Mission Trips Manager. Kim's blog, Nourished Hearts, introduced me to an enterprising and remarkable community of people whom Kim seeks to encourage and inspire through her sensitive writing. In the forefront of her ministry is the specific issues caregivers face when caring for children who come from ‘hard beginnings.’ Kim seeks to encourage others to Love Courageously especially those who are adopting or have adopted, provide foster care and/or work in orphan care ministry internationally. Her first book, written with Ginger Kolbaba, chronicles Kim and her husband’s adoption journey of their son from Ukraine and is titled “Until We All Come Home: A Harrowing Journey, a Mother’s Courage, a Race to Freedom” (FaithWords, November 2012). Today we will talk about Kim's crowd funding campaign with Indiegogo, Help Svetlana, to raise the funds to provide her adopted son's half sister, Svetlana, with two years of private medical care to cure her tuberculosis which is in its final stages. Svetlana is in a hospital in Ukraine where the doctors and nurses are no longer being paid. Svetlana has no access to the fresh food she needs which is critical to her fragile health and Kim and her family are reaching out to the public in an effort to raise the money needed to help this young woman. Join us this Friday for a heartwarming and true conversation that will call us to think again about what it means to be a Christian in our world today.

March Forth Family: Julie & Tom Meekins Mar 07, 2014

Show notes

With me on my show this week, where I believe homeschooling is a unique lifestyle, are frequent visitors Tom and Julie Meekins. This remarkable couple have a heart for parents raising children who have challenges. In walking the talk they decided to dedicate their professional lives to helping families navigate the oft times scary world of parenting. Tom and Julie became certified in child development and health coaching and in March 2011 started a company called March Forth Family LLC to help other families needing someone who totally understood the struggles they were having. Tom and Julie have been married for 34 years, have four children and in a moment of certifiable insanity chose the homeschooling path and now have four young adults who are doing fabulously. Julie has been a guest on my show a couple of times and you can go back and hear her story about her youngest daughter diagnosed with CHARGE Syndrome as an infant. They were told she would never function as a normal child. Julie and Tom knew that with God all things are possible; it is NEVER too late, and there is ALWAYS hope. Their many blessings and powerful witness allows them to be able educate, equip, and empower parents to reach for the best FOR their children and IN their children while being supported in the process. Their message also encourages those who work with families and children, ministry leaders and leaders of Parent organizations and groups. Bring your tea and join me this Friday at 12 noon central for an uplifting conversation with this inspiring couple as we talk about their upcoming tele class concerning ADHD.

The AT Thru-Hike 2: Renee Tougas Feb 28, 2014

Show notes

Greetings, I am Vivienne McNeny and I believe homeschooling to be a unique experience. This week I am bringing you Part 2 of my recorded conversation with Renee Tougas about her family’s upcoming thru-hike along the Appalachian Trail. Among other things we will be talking about the Video Series they will be making to bring the experience to our computer screens in the comfort of our homes! A virtual peek into their lives on The Appalachian Trail as they thru-hike as a family beginning in Georgia this April. At the moment they live on the side of a mountain in the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec in Canada. Renee and her husband, Damien, who has a site featuring barefoot and minimalist footwear, homeschool their three children aged 11, 13 and 15. They are location independent and have decided to use the gift of not being tied down to an office desk and staff & PTA meetings, to take their children on a momentous hike. They love the outdoors and spend time each week backpacking, hiking, ski-ing and walking. Renee blogs about how she brings her love for intentional family living, enthusiasm for the natural world, and passion for lifelong learning to everything she does and that includes this adventure they are on the brink of starting. Come along with us this Friday as we continue our conversation about the preparations for the hike of a lifetime.

My Sweet Homeschool: Katie Leigh Sullivan Feb 21, 2014

Show notes

I’m thrilled to have Katie Sullivan join me on my show this week, where I believe homeschooling to be a unique lifestyle. Featured in both Hobby Farm Home Magazine and LuckyMag online, Katie Leigh Sullivan is an award winning blogger who has been curating inspired, online spaces since 2009. Katie has been with me before but it was so long ago her life has completely changed! She’ll tell you all about it I’m sure. What hasn’t changed is she is still a speech language pathologist with 19 years experience teaching both typical and atypical learners and still homeschools her five children, going on 7 years now. She has twin boys with special needs who are now teenagers so she will be talking about them and encouraging those of you facing similar challenges to take one day at a time with a positive heart. Katie is married to her Mr. Darcy who grew up in England and is an incurable romantic, like my Cowboy. She is a lover of fabric, good design and even better books, she encourages others to live an inspired life and reminds readers that their best years are ahead of them and not behind. Katie's latest projects include turning her 3,800 sq ft house with "good bones" into her own French Pemberley. She can be found writing about homeschooling at www.mysweethomeschool.com. and at her French Pemberley home blog, www.katieleighsullivan.com. Come along with your macaron and a delicious cup of coffee and listen to my guest this week, Katie Leigh Sullivan. I'll see you soon.

Homeschool Connections: Tarla Gernert Feb 14, 2014

Show notes

My guest this week was recommended to me by one of my regulars here on The Sociable Homeschooler where I believe homeschooling to be a unique lifestyle. Sandy Fowler of Heartfilled Holidays made the introduction and Tarla Gernert and I made it happen. Tarla earned her B.S. Degree in Elementary Education at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia. She has taught in public and private schools and later homeschooled her own children. The hats she has worn over the years include university academic advisor; administrator of a large, multisite homeschool organization; advertising sales executive; piano teacher; guitar teacher; sewing instructor; real estate investor; and entrepreneur. What we are going to be covering today is her creation, over the past 13 years, of Homeschool Connections, a successful, full-service educational program serving over 500 students each week at five campuses in southeast Michigan. Homeschool Connections specializes in high quality academics for all grades with special focus on high school level classes and preparation for college. Classes range from digital movie making, outdoor survival skills, sculpting, and tennis to robotics, Shakespeare, research papers and physics. I am thrilled to be bringing Tarla to my show this week to talk about her true passion, helping people figure out how best to educate their children and prepare them for the rest of their lives. We’ll be live this Friday at 12 noon Central.

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