The Umbrella Skye Story

Being raised with a non-traditional educational approach that included Dutch, British, and American private schools as well as periods of homeschool when those did not suit my mom’s ideals and goals, I became adept at various methods and styles of education with homeschool being my favorite due to the flexibility to dive deeply into personal areas of interests while using educational tools to further my understanding and passion instead of books, pages, worksheets being All. Day. Long. with minimal excitement (or disdain) gained beyond the grade received. Learning was not fun alongside my genius-brothers as I struggled with my intense dyslexia and ADHD, so this ability to be smart in my own ways made all the difference.

My choices were to survive or thrive. Choosing to do both, I continue to work hard and engage deeply toward being a sur-thriver as I reclaim my education as I ignite my children’s love of learning. Through my journey, I have taken on leadership roles to help out along the way, which has flourished into a passion to help others find their way through The Hard.

I began utilizing my unique understanding of ‘how to learn’, first with my college classmates, post-graduate as a K-12 tutor, and eventually with you, my fellow homeschool sojourners. It has all been beautiful blessing discovered through difficult determination, deep breaths, and refusal to avoid The Hard. I am beyond grateful to have landed in a job that I adore. -A job that has grown out of reclaiming my education with the bonus of simultaneously teaching my own children, tutoring other children, and mentoring parents.

Umbrella Skye was created as a safe and private community of homeschooling parents needing reliable guidance K-college entry, trusted advice, and comprehensive support that saves hundreds of research hours sifting through trustworthy and twaddle (thank you, Charlotte Mason!), and moments of feeling alone with nowhere to find a trusted shoulder or a caring answer. Until now! Join Umbrella Skye and find your community!

Another gritty aspect of growing up as I did was that I experienced a childhood that held the full spectrum of life from the best of a magical childhood as well as the worst of experiences that I would not wish on my enemy. Thankfully, I was always aware of something that I called ‘The Big Hand’ holding me, protecting me, keeping me whole, letting me know that I was worthy. I survived. I thrived. I have forged a new foundational path for my children that I love sharing with others. We are all broken and failing in our own ways, but it is what we do with those moments. Without the valleys, there are no mountaintops.

Having a trusted guide is always helpful to expedite this process.

All of this has given me a unique ability to understand most situations and a courage to walk alongside and hold your hand as we work through The Hard. Perfection I do not get -even though the idealist in me wishes that I were Ms. Perfect to whom everything comes easy. Nope. Not me. Never. I am blessed, grateful, engaged, hard working, gritty, flexible, empathetic, giving, loving, accepting, encouraging,- but never perfect.

I live an authentic messy homeschool life full of visions of perfection and realities of falling short. But in that is the blessing of helping others realize that they are doing much better than they believe. Is your housekeeping less than optimal? Just drop over unannounced. Is your parenting less than perfect? Just listen in around the corner. Are your relationships in need of a tune-up? Let me share with you our favorite counselor.

Through all of these shortcomings, I love that we are able to utilize academics as a primary tool to teach the life lessons of character, kindness, diligence, love of learning, confidence, and choosing growth over settling.

With rose colored lenses jauntily perched upon my pert nose, I go about my evenings absorbing all of the homeschool and educational material available to me. By day, I implement this material as I become a master of the many things that are homeschool. Lessons that I never, EVER wanted to (re-)learn. When I use the term ‘master’, I am using it loosely lest you think I went from dyslexic to genius under the influence of pregnancy-induced hormones, dirty diapers, and sleep deprivation. These events did change my hair, but not my brain. Sigh!

In choosing to first, live fully and second, teach to the best of my ability, I am able to meet my children’s needs with a passionate joy at models who I hope they too can become. What I have entered into is worthy of sharing -through helping to launch some of the first co- ops in our nation, as a CC tutor, by directing my own fine arts and academic programs, through our SC Option 3 accountability association, and now through Umbrella Skye hand holding, mentoring, and support. I will leave out the lucky strangers in the grocery store line who asked why our children were not in school, but you get the picture. I live this stuff. I love this stuff!!

My ignited passion for serving, supporting, and simplifying homeschool for others has led me here to you. I am still navigating my own messy homeschool world, fighting comparison, and subduing my feelings of inadequacy, but mostly I am rejoicing that I am privileged to live this life fully for our family while being a part of a team that guides and mentors parents toward embracing this life-building journey of raising world changers.

Many hands simplify work, many minds make strong decisions, and many hearts make a confident homeschool parent!