As I've said before, we're a blended family. Both of our kids spend time with their other parents, too; we all live in fairly close proximity to each other, which helps with logistics. Brandon probably spends more time at school, at work, and with friends than at either parent's house, but he tries to at least have dinner here once a week, since the weekends he would normally be here are usually occupied with working. Kathryn spends alternating weekends at her dad's, plus more time during the summer, around holidays, and occasional days in-between. It can all get rather complicated, so I try to keep organized with a big calendar right by my desk. None of this would work at all without relying on God's grace. Blended families are a challenge, but there are a lot of us out there. I used to feel a bit out of place in church because we aren't the "typical" family, and I was afraid others would look down us. I'm over that now... obviously I haven't lived a perfect life, but God sure has used my mistakes and struggles to teach me SO MUCH. We all need to take off the fake happy-masks we tend to wear, and be honest about our struggles. I often talk about how much I enjoy learning; by that I mean in relation to homeschooling, reading, photography, and such, but I also mean that every life experience can be used by God to teach us and mold us - if we let him.We've only been "officially" homeschooling for a little over two years (although I believe homeschooling really begins at birth!) and one challenge we've had is in figuring out how to involve Kathryn's dad in her schooling. I know many homeschool moms struggle with this even within the same household. So far, what's working great for us is in realizing that there are so many opportunities in "real life" to learn: looking at the constellations with her dad through their telescope, learning about the types of wood he uses in woodworking, going on fun field trips, and so on.
Here are a few great learning experiences Kathryn has had recently (and a big thank you to her dad for sending me these photos!):
Last week, Kathryn enjoyed a "vacation" with her dad; they spent the week at home and did fun stuff nearby. They spent most of one day at an amusement park; some friends came to visit & play another day; he took her to rehearsal for "Anne of Green Gables" one evening; and on Friday, they went fishing at a trout farm. Kathryn caught a two-pound rainbow trout and reeled it in all by herself! She caught a few smaller trout as well, and when they were done, she learned about how they clean and prepare the fish (though she didn't actually watch - can't say I blame her!).
Kathryn's dad assists in teaching a Junior Bible Quiz class on Wednesday evenings at his church. She's been practicing, and a few Sundays ago, she was presented with an Eagle Award for correctly answering 62 questions. Here's Kathryn and her dad with the JBQ award certificate. She's working on learning more of the questions so she can try for the next level.
Last month, Kathryn and her dad went to tour one of the gold mines in Dahlonega. The photo below is of a rock-crusher that is still sometimes used at the gold mine they visited. While there, she panned for gold, and found some gold flakes, as well as some little rough gems. (Garnets, for instance, are often found with gold.) This was a great way to learn some geology, as well as a whole lot of Georgia history. The gold in Georgia is some of the purest gold there is, and we had a big gold rush in the early 1800's that continued until many miners left for the gold rush in California. In the 1830's, there was so much gold being produced in Dahlonega that a federal mint was built there. The dome of our state capital building is even gold-leafed! Actually, the discovery of gold in Georgia was one of the major contributing factors to the removal of the Cherokee indians - the government didn't want to share the "newly" discovered gold with the Cherokees who had been panning for gold for hundreds of years. I plan to spend more time studying our Georgia history, including the Cherokee indians, as part of school this coming year, and I'm excited about it! 
What about you? What is your biggest homeschool challenge, and how do you deal with it?
