Hi there! It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m sure.
I’m Patricia, and I’m so honored to be part of this great group of homeschooling families.
We began homeschooling in 1986 when our oldest son Nick was ready to begin kindergarten. I’d recently resigned from a successful thirteen-year career in professional nursing, and it didn’t seem fair that, as I was transitioning into a stay-at-home-mom, my oldest son had to go off to school – just when he was getting to be so much fun to talk to.
“I’d teach kindergarten to Nick at home, if I could,” I casually commented to a friend. “You can teach him at home,” she responded. “I know someone who does it.” That was the beginning of what would be 23 years of homeschooling Nick, his younger brother, Casey, and his sister, Emily.
Our nephew, Michael, came to live with us when he was 8 years old, and by the time I began homeschooling Nick, Michael was already in high school. At the time, it didn’t seem appropriate for us to take him out of school. In fact, our initial plans were to homeschool Nick for kindergarten and enroll him in public school for 1st grade. The concept of homeschooling through high school wasn’t even a thought we entertained that summer before Nick’s kindergarten year, but before the year was over, our vision for homeschooling had begun to expand. By the end of 2009, Nick, Casey, and Emily had all completed their education through high school at home.
Today, Michael, Nick, and Casey are married with families of their own, and I’m “Mimi” to {almost} 8 grandchildren. One of them is just 3 weeks old, and another one is scheduled to arrive May 30th. I am one happy Mimi!
Emily is 21, and much to my delight, lives at home while taking college classes online, working part-time in a local pre-school, and remaining actively involved in conservative politics as the local representative for both the Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Tom Rooney election campaigns.
Emily with Senator Marco Rubio
And me? I’m a simple, blue jeans and t-shirt, raised-in-the-south, small town girl who married a handsome sailor turned citrus farmer. By the grace of God, Louis and I have been married for thirty-five years. We’re multi-generational native Floridians, and though I {too often} complain about our stifling summers, there’s sand between our toes, and unless the Lord has other plans, we’ll likely never leave.
My handsome husband Louis
Louis and I grew up in the church, but we were prodigals – young adults before either of us began growing in our relationship with Christ and living like the Christians we’d professed to be. Reformed in doctrine, we worship on Sundays at a Southern Baptist Church. Truth is we love Jesus, the Body of Christ, and the fellowship of believers and can worship where two or more love Him too and are gathered in His name.
Many of my friends call me “Pat.” Others know me as “Patricia.” It helps to clear up the gender confusion “Pat” often creates.
Pollywog Creek is the name of my blog and where we live. It’s five good acres with a modest house, a pond and a creek, a dog and two cats, and my favorite backyard swing. It’s been exactly what we have needed and so much more.
Over twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – an autoimmune disease of the digestive tract. Two years ago, my life and mobility were drastically altered when I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis and an auto-immune lung disease that has continued to progress without remission. Every day brings different challenges but always new mercies and grace.
Now that I’m retired from homeschooling, it’s been my delight to write, speak, take photo walks {as I am able}, play with my grandlittles, and enjoy a good cup of coffee.
Me with four of the grandlittles
I’m an avid blogger and a freelance writer and photographer – cultivating an eye for life’s mercies wherever God takes me – which is usually not far from home.
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