Hello, Homeschool Faith and Family Life Special Feature Interviews Audience!
It is my utmost pleasure to introduce to you a beautiful, devoted, active, zany, energetic, and compassionate woman who is a dear friend of mine in person, and, I know, will become a dear friend of yours online if you contact her:) Everyone who knows Suzanne asks the same question at one time or another, "How do you do it?" She puts the Energizer Bunny TO SHAME! This is her sweet family's very first year in homeschooling and you will find her interview FULL of amazing insight, wisdom, joy, humor, and useful advice.
A big "shout out" to you, Suzanne as I thank you for joining us here today!
And now....I welcome, Mrs. Suzanne Mellott:
1. What five adjectives would you use to best describe yourself?
Endearing, compassionate, funny,
2. Are you married? If so share a bit about your husband. Also use this space to tell us a little about any children, pets, family/home/location, your age & other personal details, faith, etc.if you so choose:
I have been happily married to my high school sweetheart for almost 11 years. Dave is a kind, calm, patient guy with a heart of gold. We started dating our senior year and have never looked back. I've always admired him for his "coolness" which was always something I felt I never was! He has definitely been the calming factor in my life and we balance each other out perfectly. I am so, so excited to share that he will be completing the RCIA process and becoming a full Catholic during the Easter Vigil Mass. Our family is over the moon! I have three of the most beautiful children in the world. Samuel is 8, Ava is 6, and Emma is 3. It's amazing how genetics work and how each child is so similar but so completely different. Dave and I are in a house filled with love and laughter and rambunctious play and we wouldn't have it any other way. We are truly living our dream. Add in a fat cat, a black lab mix, and a pit mix and life is overflowing with craziness!
3. For how long have you been homeschooling? What is your teaching method/style and what type of curriculum do you use?
This is our first year of homeschooling. Sam is in 2nd grade and Ava is in Kindergarten. Emma, I'm beginning to think, could advance to kindergarten if we'd let her! We use a combination of teaching styles but we are big fans of Seton and Mother of Divine Grace. I pull in lots of supplements from other curricula. Because it's my first year of homeschooling, I can't say that I stick with one teaching method. I work part-time in the special education world as a speech pathologist so I often apply my experiences in adapting teaching styles to homeschooling. I'm still learning this whole thing, so as long as my children are learning, I feel like it's working.
4. What has been your greatest accomplishment this year?
Definitely learning how to trust in God and allowing him to guide me in the path He wants for me. Homeschooling was a big commitment and decision for our family and one that I felt compelled to make. I'm proud of myself that I was able to listen, share it with my husband, and ultimately accept the challenge.
5. How has the Holy Spirit been moving you lately? What has the Lord been saying to your heart? How is He guiding you?
Trust, trust, trust. I feel like my life lately has been a series of instances where I need to stop the worry and just trust. You must have trust to have joy and you must have joy to see the miracles. I find myself constantly reminding myself of this because old habits die hard. The Lord has been guiding me to be a better wife, a better mom, and a better person. Each new person he brings into my life has helped me in this process and each person who is no longer a significant part of my life has helped this process. I feel like I am a diamond in the rough and a little shine is poking through!
6.What words of wisdom would you offer a new homeschooling mother?
Breathe! Wait, I am a new homeschooling mother! I still get caught up in the state guidelines and what my children are "supposed" to be learning. Then one of my children will come up to me during the off hours and show me they've learned something that I never would've imagined. My family is strong and loving and learning that God is the priority. Instead of worrying about what's on TV, I watch my children independently playing with each other and creating beautiful pictures of our Lord, angels, and bible stories. How awesome! What I've learned is to LISTEN to your children. Don't come in with an agenda and forget to listen to what they are telling you...Are they enjoying school? Are they sharing a special interest with you? Find other homeschooling families who can impart invaluable wisdom and support...I have and it's meant the world!
7. What words of wisdom would you offer a seasoned homeschooling mother in need of encouragement and perseverance?
You've done what we newbies are praying to achieve. We admire everything you've helped your families to accomplish. Although you may feel burdened with the days in and days out, you can feel proud knowing that you are doing exactly what you have been called to do. And, some chocolate can't hurt.
8. I believe that others can learn through our own hindsight. Hopefully, if we have learned from past mistakes, then our experience can help those who might face similar situations in the future. Therefore, please share something you would do differently if you could go back and begin your homeschooling journey again.or something you learned from a particular mistake, trial, or obstacle:
Since we're only in our first year of homeschooling, I'm not sure I have many pearls of wisdom to share yet. Something we struggle with is maintaining a consistent daily schedule. Because I work outside the home two days a week, our schedule gets a little crunched. Carrying out a consistent schedule is very challenging but if you set it up from the beginning, it's much easier to maintain. I'm still working on it...
9. Do you have a job in addition to your vocation as a wife and mother at home? If so, tell us about it!
Yes, I work as a speech-language pathologist in our local school system two days per week. I am also an on-location photographer.
10. What do you hope to accomplish in the year ahead that is new to you?
I hope to stay healthy and keep my family healthy and happy as we continue to tune into what God is telling us. We anticipate lots of changes in the year ahead and look forward to leaning on God to take us through it. I hope to continue homeschooling as well as find ways to improve my role as wife and mother.
11. What are your favorite hobbies?
Does eating count? No? I love photography and capturing moments in time that slip away too quickly. I also enjoy a good retail therapy session.
12. What are five things that you and your husband (if applicable) do to keep your marriage strong and enjoyable?
1. We keep active in our church by helping with a marriage bible study group and we teach the high school CCD classes together.
2. We have a monthly date night!
3. We laugh together, mostly at each other and the kids. We laugh a lot!
4. We pray. We read Christian books and then we pray some more.
5. We are open to life 100% of the time. We are proud of our decision and that has, hands down, been something that has improved our marriage amazingly.
13. Name five simple pleasures in life that you enjoy:
1. Family
2. Caffeine
3. Photography
4. Facebook
5. Reading
14. What do you consider your five greatest blessings in homeschooling?
1. More family time
2. Watching how my children learn
3. Watching my children become closer
4. Being able to put God into our academics
5. Field trips!
15. What is one fault/weakness that you are working on currently?
Keeping a daily, consistent schedule
16. What is something you have recently learned from another wife/mother/person that helped, uplifted or encouraged you in your vocation?
I attend a wonderful co-op where there is a group of mothers who are encouraging and realistic. All of their advice helps me to put my own homeschooling into perspective. I can't really pinpoint one thing I've learned other than to RELAX!
17. How can our readers get to know more about you or read some of your writings?
You can join me at ambitiouspromises.wordpress.com or check out my photography at www.suzannemellottphotography.com or find me on Facebook (Suzanne Mellott Photography).
18. What are three virtues you find necessary to grow in holiness as a homeschooling wife and mother?
1. Patience to weather the storms and calm your family!
2. Perseverance to stick it out when it gets tough (and it will)
3. Courage to follow what God is leading you to!
19. Give us a handy tip! It can be about household management, homeschooling, faith life, business, etc. Share your wisdom and experience.save us time.save us money.help us be more organized.what ever
you'd like to share!
Do what you love...carve out some time to do something you love and it will control the burnout and stress.
20. Please use this space to write anything else you'd like to add or impart to our readers:
Be confident in who you are and who God wants you to be. He promises to take care of us, but we must first take His hand in the journey.
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