This week I am welcoming back Mariaemma Willis a Learning Success coach who oversees the home education of her grandchildren and works with homeschooling families in assessing their individual learning styles.  She holds a Masters degree in Education, and California Life Teaching Credentials for Regular and Special Education. Mariaemma is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and consultant for parents and teachers. She has spent the last 16 years guiding children and their families in understanding and appreciating their natural gifts and abilities so that they can discover their passions and potentials.  Mariaemma co-founded The Learning Success Institute and has co-authored several books including, Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and Midlife Crisis Begins in Kindergarten.  Bring a cuppa with you and join me this Friday afternoon to talk about tapping into our child’s unique learning styles and thereby enriching our individual homeschooling experiences.  

My guest from a couple of weeks ago and I had so much fun together she decided to interview me for her Radio Show, Raising Playful Tots, and that’s what we’re getting this week!  Melitsa Avila puts me in the hotspot and asks some interesting questions to get a view of motherhood from the other side!  I give some sage advice and encouragement for women just starting out on their motherhood journeys.  I am proof that there is life at the other end of the tunnel.   I had fun with my children intentionally and my blue eyed cowboy and I played and wrestled with them from the time they were born to now, although with young adults the games are taking on a different shape!   Stop mopping up the milk for a moment and come and listen to my show this Friday where I am asked to put my money where my mouth is and tell a few secrets as to how raising a young family worked for me! 

I am delighted to have my two young nephews from England on my show this week.  Samuel and Nathaniel Baggarley came across the pond for the first time to attend the Wedding of the Year!  They were bedazzled and entertained, dined not whined and spent an inordinate amount of time wet.  They had a whirlwind five days cramming everything they could into their visit to take oodles of stories back home with them, from missing a plane to seeing the aftermath of a police car chase to the intricacies of a mail box and the deliciousness of sopapillas, from dancing at a wedding to setting off an alarm!  Join me this Friday to hear them chat unabashedly about what they did and how the American Way appeared to them.    

Mike Donnelly is back with me this week and we are going to be talking about the impact the Romeike vs Holder hearing, at the 6^th Circuit Court of Appeals this week, could have on American homeschoolers.  Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which have been aired with me on this show.  Mike also serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for member affairs at the Home School Legal Defense Association and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia.  Today’s conversation will centre around the belief the American Government may have that it would not violate our rights if it decided to ban homeschooling entirely.  Wither the thought and thank God for men like Mike whose work at HSLDA is to defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children. Join me this Friday on Toginet Radio and listen as Mike encourages us to defend our decisions to homeschool and be the parents God created us to be.     

I discovered my guest this week through my faithful listener in California who thought putting the two of us together with our English accents would be a hoot!  Melitsa Avila is a former teacher, mother of three boys and military wife who hosts a weekly show called Raising Playful Tots.  She specialises in delivering Early Childhood play information straight from practitioners and experts into the hands of parents and carers to improve their under 5 play opportunities.  Melitsa has been blogging since 2007 sharing forgotten play activities, promoting discussion and community to encourage parents to have fun with their children intentionally and make choices about play the way we remembered it from our childhood.  Leave your dustpan and brush in the cupboard and join me this week to pick up some ideas on how to make your home a place where you and your young ones can experiment and have fun with common household items.   

My guest this week is the daughter of a colleague of mine from the days when I worked in Corporate America, way before any self-respecting career woman would ever consider homeschooling!!  Polly Wright started a ministry in 2010 called We Are Cherished which reaches out to women in the sex industry and provides the community they need when they are ready to leave.  She is passionate for women to know their true worth and value and discover who they were created to be.  Polly and her husband have been married for 17 years and have beautiful twin daughters together. In 2008, God prompted her to start homeschooling their girls, little did she know that an ulterior motive was in play as all of their lives began to change.  Polly will tell us the story of her personal journey that led to her book, Cherished: Shattered Innocence. Restored Hope.  Join us during the noon hour this Friday and be loved extravagantly.  

Jennifer Miller is back with me this week to talk about the open-ended tour of the world she and her family are embarked upon.  They have been nomads for five years now and love every minute of it, well almost.  Today she will be sharing her favourite spot in the world and her least favourite!  Jennifer is passing on her legacy of an uncommon childhood to her offspring and seriously homeschooling while on the road!  How does she do it?  What does a vacation look like to a family of travellers?  How do they decide what to tote with them?  What about money?  Language?  Accommodation?  What does location independent mean?  Tune in this week to find out more about how Jennifer, her husband and four children are living their family dream.  Their lifestyle will razzle and dazzle you and you’ll want to join Jennifer by following her at www.edventureproject.com  

If it’s Friday join us with your coffee, a home made goody and a map to track the countries Jennifer is going to be talking about!  

My guest this week is Matt Rothacher who has been ministering as a full-time youth pastor in Arkansas for the past eleven years, and until 2011 was convinced that he would do that forever, but God had different plans. In November of 2011 He solidified the call Matt had been wrestling with since the previous summer.  With God at his back Matt stepped out of the ministry world he knew so well and began plans to plant a church in the community of Vilonia, Arkansas.  Matt has a passion for the Word and a strong faith in what God has called him to do among the people of Vilonia. He is addicted to diet coke, brownies, pizza, and McDonald’s (where he offices), is in love with his best friend and wife Julie, and adores being “Daddy” to his three children.  He has promised us laughter amidst the passion of this hot cross bun day so set apart an hour and come and listen on Friday.

 My guest this week, Kristin Deal, has just returned from Goa, India where she was involved in international work with trafficking.  India and other South East Asian countries are probably where you and I both imagine most human trafficking to take place.  However, Kristin is going to be telling us about what goes on in our own backyard, sometimes right underneath our noses.  Kristin is a born and bred Texan from Fort Worth, right down the road from me in Dallas.  She received her Masters in Social Work through the University of Texas at Arlington.  She has been married to her husband Brad for almost 2 years now and enjoys hearing his stories of being a middle school teacher.  They have one child named Burger, their rescue dog.  Kristin currently works at Catholic Charities Fort Worth as a Case Manager and Outreach Worker specifically helping refugees and victims of trafficking.  Join me on Friday to hear this young woman’s passion for combating injustice and giving hope and voice to the vulnerable in her community.     

I am welcoming back a British home educator who keeps us updated on what is going on in my fair country.  Steve Richards is one of the directors of Northstar Worldwide which offers support and resources to homeschooling families all over the world.  Steve is also a founding member of one of the home education groups in England called Home Service and he has spoken widely at conferences in the United Kingdom and overseas.  Both he and his wife, Lyn, homeschooled their children.  Today we are going to be talking about flexi-schooling.  Also on our topics list is the interesting observation Steve has made that Christian homeschoolers seem to be much more concerned about whether they are doing a good job educating their children than their secular counterparts who appear to have more peace about what they are doing at home.   Join us this Friday and prepare to ask yourselves some questions about your motive for home-based learning.    

I am delighted that my dear on air friend, Gretchen Roe, is joining me again this week for another lively discussion about...well, you’ll have to tune in to find out!  Gretchen is Community Liaison for the Calvert School, presents Webinars for international homeschool audiences, conducts workshops at conferences around America and has used the Calvert Curriculum herself for the last 19 years.  Gretchen has six children and her favourite topic is about homeschooling not being purely school at home.  Calvert is a comprehensive curriculum that can be started any time during the year and with advisory teachers on staff you can educate your children on your own but not alone.  Join me this Friday to find out about a curriculum that is Global, Virtual and Hands On. 

The name of my guest’s blog attracted me and I in turn caught her attention by complimenting her on her funny musings and inviting her to come and be down to earth and honest with me this week.  Kate Hall is a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom with one husband, Steve, of 10 years, and three young children, all adopted from China (not the husband) and all born with cleft lip and palate (again, not the husband).  When not answering bizarre questions and wiping poop off the walls Kate attends to her creatively named blog, Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine With My Morning Quiet Time?  Her blog started as a way to share their adoption journeys with family and friends.  But somewhere along the line the comments she was receiving about her droll blogs went to her head and drove her to make the change from adoption to humor blog.  Kate fills her time without adult company writing on such topics as her husband's make-out tape, scatter-brained mommies, 80s fashion trends she failed at, and other everyday things.  Bring your cuppa and join us on Friday for an amusing take on parenting and homeschooling. 

Norma Wilt was a public school teacher for seventeen years.  As an individual she tried to change the system and came up against certain individuals who do not necessarily have the welfare of the nation’s children at heart.   I am thrilled to welcome her as a guest on my show this week where we will talk about how to create an academic environment in schools and homeschools where our students do not feel inadequate and are inspired to learn.  Norma has written, The System Redesigned, This Time for the Children, in which she challenges her readers to return to a time when learning was successful – when all children read.  If America’s children are to become literate, compassionate, empathetic, happy and productive members of our society changes must occur now.  In the present school system some children are allowed to sit and be less than they are, while others are forced to be more than they can be. In either case they all fall below their natural potential.  Join me on Friday at high noon CT, tea at the ready, for a thought provoking look at illiteracy in our country and where it could take us in the future if we don’t take steps to change the present system.   

My guest this week has a list of Performing Arts credits to his name.  Steven David Horwich started early by winning an Emmy Award at the age of 17 for a piece he wrote, directed, and was featured in.  As a writer he's written over 80 works for the stage, many of which have been produced throughout the U.S., Canada, London, and as far away as St. Petersburg, Russia.  As a director he's directed over 200 evenings of theater, working with many top stars such as John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Anne Archer and Charles Durning.  As an actor, he's performed over 150 roles.  As a musician he’s music directed over 50 musicals.  But it is as a father that he's the star!  Nothing is more important to him than his children, absolutely nothing!  It was while homeschooling as a single dad that Steven created a homeschool curriculum for them called Connect The Thoughts.  As with all great products CTT stepped outside the small family unit and into the basements and kitchens of homeschoolers around the world.   Today more than 20,000 people have benefitted from CTT courses.  You won't want to miss the show so grab a cuppa and join me at my new time, High Noon, Central, still on Friday.  

My guest this week describes herself as a reluctant homeschooler, which makes me laugh because the very nature of the beast surprises many of us in its nascent years yielding various emotions that have us rushing forward enthusiastically or being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the vast arena of home education.  Suki Wessling overcame her reluctance and has been writing about homeschooling and gifted children, with an emphasis on serving the emotional and academic needs of unusual learners, ever since.  Her book, From School to Homeschool, was published by Great Potential Press in 2012 and serves as an introduction to home education for parents seeking alternative educational approaches for their children.  Suki is also a writer of widely published poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. She has worked as a college English teacher, small press publisher, graphic designer, and journalist and joins me on Friday for a well deserved cup of tea.

Finally I have a military homeschooling Mum as my guest this week.  It has been three years and God’s timing is slow but perfect and not a little humourous.  Aadel Bussinger answered my email with a “yes” after a mutual friend of ours recommended her to me.  I scrolled down her “About” page and saw the top of a head of blue hair and wondered, “What’s my picture doing on this website?”  Of course it wasn’t me!  It was Aadel!  I sent her a collage of me with my blue locks as a perfect introduction to myself.  How many people in the world have bright blue highlights?! 

Aadel has been married to her career army man for twelve years and they have three children whom they unschool while moving at the army’s whim! She has a personal blog, writes for Natural Family Day and owns Homeschool Commons where she shares free public domain sources for all who want to partake.  Today Aadel is going to talk to us about the whys and wherefores of homeschooling in the military and plug us into some valuable resources to make the whole experience do-able and wonderful with the added benefit of a healthy dose of chillaxing!  Don’t miss Aadel this Friday and bring your tea, it will be fun! 

Stacie Zellmer is joining me today to talk about the importance of clean water in the world, something we take for granted and waste without thinking!  Imagine spending several hours a day, every day, walking with a container to fetch the family’s water.  Imagine drinking or cooking with this water that looks and tastes dirty.  Imagine going without water, not being able to drink your 64 ounces a day, not being able to turn on a tap, let it run to heat up before stepping into your morning shower for as long as you like!  Stacie works for a company that is moving towards providing clean water to millions of people globally.  She has degrees in Economics and International Relations from Wheaton College and experience in India where she helped frame an International Justice Missions' community engagement strategy.  Stacie returned to New York to assist in finding innovative ways to involve schools and faith groups in Charity: Water's mission.  Join me on Friday for a cuppa and a chat about what we can do to be a part of this unique outreach.  

My daughter, Malia McNeny, is returning this week to talk to me about the dream job that is helping her to achieve her dream career!  Malia has just returned from a year in England where she finished off her formal training in the performance arts and is now embarking on the competitive and financially unstable phase of her future.  Her clever choice of a job that will help foot the bill ensures that she will never be too far away from a pay check or a good cup of Joe.  Ever since she was young she has wanted to work at the local coffee shop.  The fact that we did not take the children out for something we could easily reproduce at home may have had something to do with her burning desire to one day work as a barista and blend, brew and sample to her heart’s desire.  Join us today with your favourite cuppa to hear how Malia’s skills at making star coffees translates internationally and allows her to finance the pursuit of her career on stage no matter where she is in the world.     

My guest this week is Kim de Blecourt, author of, Until We All Come Home, published by Faith Words last November.   Kim spent over 13 years in corporate human resources and was a corporate trainer.  I discovered her on Twitter and have spent many hours delving into the world of adoption using her blog, Nourished Hearts, as my springboard.  I have happened upon 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 with children who come from “hard beginnings.”   The latest sequence of events that have resulted in Russia placing a ban on Americans adopting children from their country is seen as a political power struggle that will affect those in most need, the orphans.  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.  

What does your twelfth grader need to know?  It may be less than you think!  Can you help your high schooler answer the questions, “Where are you trying to go and why?”  While schooling at home how can less class mean more learning?  Do you know the secret to making money?  Listen in this week for the answers to these questions and more when Larry Farris joins me for an energising talk after the family, relaxing, chilling stress-free Christmas break!  If you want to listen to some good Christmas music too go and check out Larry's son, Hunter Farris, for a treat in piano playing.  What better time than to look towards the future and help our children discern the path they will follow with the Lord.  Larry and his wife homeschooled their three children while traveling around the States in their RV.  Pop a pod in your Keurig, get a biscuit or two and come and enjoy, before you are tempted to pack your older children off to the public high school. 

This is the last show of 2012 and in it you will be treated to some different ideas about preparations for the New Year from more of my friends whom I’ve met during the past three years,

Walter Lemons, 

Shannah Godfrey,

Luke Holzmann,

& Jennifer Miller,

You will hear thoughts about giving back, the fleetingness of time and living with presence, purpose and joy.  You’ll hear meditations on letting go of perfection and enjoying family.  There’s looking back with gratitude, remembering that life is what happens when making other plans and insights into the lighter side of the celebration with games, noise makers and rejoicing.  2013 brings with it the knowledge that God is not finished with us yet.  Sit down with a special coffee and a biscotti and join me for some different voices guiding us towards a Happy New Year.  

Merry Christmas to you all!

I invited a few of my friends from past shows to talk about what this Holy Season means to them and their comments ranged from mistletoe and eggnog, blessings and surprise announcements to our internal need to adore someone, the doctrine of the incarnation and shifting priorities.  

Join me this week and share a hot chocolate and truffle with me while we listen to the meaning of Christmas for a few people who have drawn close to us over the years.   

                Robert Velarde      

Gretchen Roe  

                                                               Sandy Fowler

                   Daniele Evans

Joining me this week is a fellow blogger whom I met while popping over to a guest site one of my friends was writing for.  Jules Rothacher has a heart for Jesus and she and her husband, with their young family, are missionaries currently serving in central Arkansas.  You thought I was going to say Africa, didn‘t you?  Jules writes about the fun adventures she, Matt (her hilarious hubs of almost 8 years), her children Magdalene, Isabella, and Benjamin are having with God in the lead.  She is here with me to share the simple silliness of her every day where God can be found in the quirkiness around her home.  With a four year old as their eldest they are just entering the realm of homeschooling and as if all that isn’t enough they are being called to Church Planting. Jules is going to be telling us all about that venture and more over a hot cuppa and a biscuit or two this Friday.  So take an hour away from Christmas preparations and join me for a natter.    

Mike Donnelly, from the Home School Legal Defense Association, returns to my show this week after recently attending the Global Home Education Conference in Berlin.   When he’s not keeping us updated with all things legal on the homeschooling front Mike serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for member affairs and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia.  Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which he has shared with us over the years on my show.  Mike and his hard working colleagues at HSLDA defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children and their convictions ensure that homeschooling remains a parental choice for all of us.  This week we are going to be chatting about the Berlin conference and finish up with some of his fatherly wisdom when it comes to preparing for Christmas.  So, curl up in your chair with a cup of tea and listen in this Friday.

I am excited to welcome Cara Putman to my show today.  I love speaking with graduated homeschoolers who bear witness to the fact that educating our children at home turns out well rounded, socially conscious individuals. Cara grew up as a homeschooled child when homeschoolers were misunderstood and oddities.  She is an honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law.  Cara lives in Indiana with her husband and four children whom she also homeschools while balancing her careers as an attorney and an author of fifteen published books.  She is a teacher at her church as well as lecturer at Purdue.  Cara claims to be just an ordinary mom who has seen God do some wonderful things in her life.  Join us on Friday for a cup of tea while we talk about an amazing God who can work His strength in each of us.    

I met this week’s guest on Twitter and was intrigued by her story and you’ll have to join me to hear it from her own lips. Jessica Bowman blogs on faith and parenting and everything in between, writes books, most notably, Parenting Wild Things, Embracing the Rumpus, sometimes gets paid for spending time on her computer and cooks amazing things with beans!  Jessica has been married to her high school sweetheart for more than 12 years and together they have 4 children whom they've crossed oceans and continents with. We are going to be talking about the de-churched, a growing group of Generation X'ers who are disillusioned with the institution for various reasons.  You will also find out how to support Jessica and her family as they live their life of surrender to the Lord.  Join me on Friday with your tea and hear Jessica’s extraordinary story, which she finds to be a very ordinary one, oftentimes difficult and daily enriched with miracles. 

I am delighted to be talking to Walter Lemons this week, who was technical director of the Garland Performing Arts Centre which became our home away from homeschool many moons ago. Not many people made it passed us when it came to having an impact on our children’s lives, Walter did!  He was instrumental in teaching them all the technical skills they would ever need to work backstage in every capacity. Once they had graduated from the Walter Lemons School of Technology they were ready to go...and go they have!  Walter also became a cherished friend allowing his inner child to surface during balloon war summers and intense film making, not to mention marathon video game sessions and a change of pace when he began fostering Pyrenean Mountain dogs.

Walter was an adult who watched over our children while they spread their wings in the backstage of a large facility allowing them to experiment, fail and explore.  I think you will enjoy our natter this week as we talk about how our public service benefitted both him and his job as well as our children’s education.  Don’t miss a word tune in this Friday for elevensies.  

I am welcoming Sherry Hayes to my show this week.  Sherry is the inspiring Christian mother of 15 wonderful children and has been homeschooling for 24 years. She has seen the “graduation” of seven of her children from her home in colorful Colorado and she and her husband, David, are enjoying rearing the remaining eight still under their tutelage.  She has been a compassionate promoter of redemptive home educating for almost a quarter of a century and has maintained the belief that it’s God’s venue for national and world revival.  In her spare time Sherry has been a proactive advocate for homeschooling, a key speaker for homeschool support groups, and a successful writer encouraging practical Biblical family living on her blog, Large Family Mothering.   She has written two new books, Homeschool Sanity and McGuffey’s Primer Flashcards, Helps & Hints, to encourage and help to facilitate others who have decided to embark on the exhilarating journey.  Join me on Friday and find out more about large family living.  

Dawn Prochovnic is my guest this week and we are going to be exploring the benefits of signing with every member of our family!  Dawn is an expert in ASL and her verbal descriptions on how to get our hands moving will have you hooked in no time.  The beauty of watching an accomplished signer can only be described as poetry in motion and this is what captured her heart when she was a young teen.  Dawn is the author of a series of sixteen picture books called Story Times with Signs and Rhymes which will delight young readers and parents alike.  We will discover the benefits of learning to sign for all ages and circumstances including children with special needs, children who are advanced in their learning and babies who haven’t developed their verbal skills yet.  Bring a hot drink this Friday to hear about how signing can enhance and enrich the whole family by increasing literacy skills and decreasing the volume level at home! 

 I am thrilled to welcome back Diane Flynn Keith this week as my guest.  She is an alternative education specialist whose written and spoken words empower families to get the help their children need for a meaningful education at home.  Diane claims that when you listen to her speak you won’t hear what’s being presented in high school or by the local school district.  As a mother of two sons she had to get creative.  In her house volunteer work, flight lessons, and performing in music bands passed as high school.  This innovative way of looking at education paid off and her sons are both contributing members of society pursing productive careers in the music industry.  Diane’s latest book is a tribute to her father who lived by a set of immutable truths learned through the school of hard knocks.  Simply entitled Papa’s Pearls it is a father’s gift of love and wisdom to his children and grandchildren.  Join us on Friday with your tea and a biscuit for some new techniques for taming wiggle worms and a look into the life of a beloved parent. 

I am going to be talking briefly with Sarita Holzmann, the co-founder and president of Sonlight Curriculum for more than 20 years.  Sarita is going to be telling us about a brand new charity project she is offering through Sonlight called a "learning and giving adventure" which has the potential to seriously impact many across the world. You don't have to participate in the charitable endeavor to access all the free videos and materials available, all you have to do is go to the website and join in the fun as Phoenix Phaxx travels to Russia, Bali, Jakarta, Cambodia and S. Korea to fulfill The Great Commission and bring the gospel to un-reached communities in the Far East through radio!  In conjunction with the Far East Broadcasting Company, Sonlight is excited to bring a fund raiser, for homeschoolers, Sunday school classes and Christian families, right into your homes.  Join me on Friday to learn more about this travel-filled adventure!

I will also be welcoming to my show Dr. Susan Friedman, a behaviourist for more than thirty years and currently a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University.   Dr. Friedman’s area of expertise is learning and behaviour with a special emphasis on children's behaviour disorders.  In the last several years, Susan has pioneered efforts to apply to animals the humane philosophy and scientifically sound teaching technology from the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis, which has been so effective with human learners.   Dr. Friedman is a steadfast proponent of changing behaviour through positive re-inforcement rather than force and I am sure you’ll enjoy our conversation this Friday.  Bring a cup of tea on Friday and discover the connections between environment and behaviour and our children and pets. 

I am thrilled this week that my brave sons, Ian and Simon McNeny, who lived in our house while my blue eyed cowboy and I were away in England for a year, have managed to happen away from their exciting lives to join me as my guests.  It wasn’t until we returned to our home after 13 months that we became aware of The Wildman Experiment that had been taking place while we were away and I’m sure we’re in for a lively conversation. My oldest son, Ian, is a film maker here in Dallas where he is currently working on season 2 of the new series of Dallas.  When not hobnobbing with the Ewings he freelances for a creative studio in Deep Ellum called Reel FX, where he has just edited a series of national commercials for Chuck E Cheese, look out for them over the holiday season.   Ian also enjoys writing narrative screenplays and coming up with innovative ways to give old foods new tastes.  Simon, is a Zoo Keeper at the Dallas Zoo where his special charges are the Okapi, part of the hoof stock.  He enjoys giving talks and tours to families and loves the public.  Simon is also rock climber and sometimes uses his talents to trim trees.  He is sponsored by a climbing shoe company, Evolv, and a local flip flop company called Hari Mari.

They have both been featured in their local community college magazine for their motivation to follow their dreams, graduate from college in less than four years and work in their fields, thanks to homeschooling! 

Join me on Friday and hear how the Wildman Experiment brought all of us together as we found out more about each other and how living apart could draw us closer!   

I have two guests this week, Tina Smith and her friend Beckie Tetrault both eclectic homeschoolers somewhere smack in the middle of the continuum between unschooling and school-at-home!  Beckie found she is more productive when she is busy after careful observation of her three children proved to her that boredom breeds chaos!  She laughs when she is mistaken as an organised and patient type claiming to be the most dis-organised, impatient, insane person she knows.  Her friend, Tina, is excruciatingly distractible, schedules are a burden to her since she is regularly dreaming up great ideas for cool new things to do that would not fit into her timetable...if she had one that is!  Tina admits to thinking big and successfully inveigled Beckie into co-hosting her brain child, Savvy Homeschool Moms, a weekly podcast where they help others along the homeschooling journey.  Between them they have established a faithful following of listeners and are taking time out of their hectic day to talk to me about their show.  Put the coffee down, these ladies are all you’ll need to get you motivated and energised this Friday.

WooHoo Radio is the brain child of my guest this week, Lisa Steadman, best selling relationship author and internationally acclaimed speaker who can lead you step by step from rock bottom to rock star so you can awaken your WooHoo Within.  Now what does all this have to do with homeschooling you may ask?  Well, as I delved into Lisa’s life I discovered that we have so much in common it’s uncanny.  This shouldn’t be a surprise because as women we all face the same stereotypes, it’s how we deal with them that makes us unique. Lisa brings with her a contagious zest for life, a remarkable passion for people, a compassionate spirit, and a proven track record of turning Boohoo!s into Woohoo!s. She is going to share with us the how to’s of transforming any obstacle or challenge in life into lessons learned.  We can benefit from that can’t we?  Lisa broke up with Corporate America (just as I did) and her worthless boyfriend (I dumped DINKS) and built her own buzz worthy brand as THE Breakup Expert, (Sociable Homeschooler), became an instant best seller with her book It’s a Breakup, Not A Breakdown (Close!) and met and married the love of her life (I was already married to mine!).  Join us on Friday to uncover the common threads we all share as women and how we can use them to shape our lives and awaken our unique WooHoo Within!  Cup of tea anyone?

My guest this week is Daniele Evans who writes about herself as a woman on a journey towards intentional and meaningful living. Daniele is a pastor’s wife and she and her husband, whom she describes as her best friend and confidant, homeschool their five children in Central Pennsylvania.  Their marriage is a biblically-centered one, their parenting is grace-based and their home is peace-filled or at least striving to be with God’s help.  In true Christian style Daniele knows she is only human and likely to stumble and fall at times.  She is the author of Honoring the Rhythm of Rest and writes regularly for Home Educating Family Magasine, The Curriculum Choice, Passionate Homemaking, The Better Mom and her own blog, Domestic Serenity.  Daniele is going to lift us up, inspire us to find God in the oftentimes not so perfect moments of our lives, offer insights on ways to move through our journey and practice rest as a regular pattern in our days.  Join us for a cup of tea and a rest in the Lord’s oasis, this Friday.  

I am delighted to welcome Dr. Collin Thomas as my guest this week.  Dr. Thomas was one of my Zoo Keeper son’s professors at the local community college and their lasting friendship grew out of a deep mutual respect for one another on remotely connected levels.  Dr. Thomas completed undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin in the Plan II Liberal Arts  Program and remained at Texas to complete his doctorate in Molecular Biology, he then went on to perform postdoctoral studies in cellular biophysics at the Rockefeller University in New York.   Fate brought him back to his native Texas where he currently teaches biology, genetics, and more recently, astrobiology at Collin College.  Dr. Thomas lives with his wife, two children, four dogs, five turtles, a micropig, numerous fish and arthropods in an old tumble-down house in South Dallas that he claims to be slowly renovating.  When he isn’t dealing with plumbing hemorrhages, peeling paint, rotted wood, or 15,000 fire ants in the bathtub he enjoys just spending time with his family.  Join us on Friday with your cup of tea and a biscuit to hear about the slowly evolving, but increasingly significant, change in his own disposition toward home-schooling.   

My guest this week is Sarah Robinson founder of the blog Sidetracked Sarah an informative and organised piece of work, packed with ideas and tips for the whole family.   Sarah is a homeschooling, do-it-yourself mum.  She and her husband, Ryan, have 6 children aged one to 14 years old.  Ryan, has supported her in her continual striving for efficient effectiveness as a wife and mother for 15 wonderful years!   Sarah admits to getting sidetracked easily on many different projects in and around her home.  Join me on Friday for a little bit of a laugh over our elevensies cuppas as this innovative Mum takes us for a gentle meander through her homeschool.  

Nicole O’Dell has a desire to bridge the gap between parents and teens and as a former teen herself and mother of six children she has first hand experience.  I am thrilled to welcome her today as my guest when we will be talking about topics that will get you all sticky under the collar and that’s before you even broach the subject with your teenagers!  Her new series of books, Hot Buttons, are aimed at helping parents handle tough issues with their tweens and teens before they pop up in real life.  Nicole is a youth culture expert, she writes and speaks to pre-teens, teens, and parents about how to prepare for life's tough choices.   She is the author of ten YA novels, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates series.  Her non-fiction for teens includes Girl Talk, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular blog column by the same name, and hundreds of contributions to several devotional books.  Nicole is the founder of Choose Now Ministries and fellow radio show host here on Toginet Radio.  Join me on Friday during elevensies and take some steps with Nicole towards guiding and encouraging your teens’ commitment to good decisions.   

My guest this week is from Australia and is a director and educational consultant with Australian Home Education Advisory Service (AHEAS) a group that helps home educators connect with one another on-line.  Dr. Jackson home educated her four children, completed a PhD at Monash University where her research project explored the homeschooling experiences of students when they moved between home and school and the effect it also had on their parents and educators.  Bring a drink and a snack and join us this Friday to discover how an Australian research project can have relevance in the global homeschooling community.   

I have someone who shouted, “I’m Debt Free” on the Dave Ramsey show last year, as my guest this week.  Stacey Lane is a wife, mother, teacher and Jill-of-all-trades who is a member of the Bright Ideas Press team. Her many gifts include visual thinking, bringing order out of chaos, dealing with sibling rivalry when it rears its fierce head and thinking outside the box.  She takes charge when needed and with her encouragement, humour and practical projects managed to lead her household into the sought after realm of debt freedom!  Stacey is a fellow homeschooler who will allay any fears you may have about being able to afford life on one income. Tune in this Friday and hear her notorious and amazing ideas on frugality, bring your cappuccino, any way you like it!

Joining me this week is returning guest, Dr. Marlene McMillan, a graduate of John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.  She has a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Tyndale Theological Seminary and has written extensively on liberty and how to apply the Bible to our culture especially in the areas of law, government, history, economics and education. Dr. Marlene is the author of a number of books including those dealing with solutions to poverty, and the impact of language on culture and education.  She has released a course on liberty and a prayer guide that deals with the healing of the broken-heartedness of a Nation. Dr. Marlene homeschooled her seven children all the way through high school. She says none of them have herding mentalities.  To find out more about what this means bring a cup of tea to your computer desk and listen in to what will be a very enlightening show that will get your brain working and your logic and reasoning fired up!

Join me this week and learn how to take responsibility for your health.  Dr Kevin Conners, a Doctor of Chiropractic with fellowships in integrative cancer therapy and functional medicine, is my guest and together we are going to talk about his motto, “Never stop asking why?”  He is the author of, Help, My Body is Killing Me,  Solving the connections of Autoimmune Disease to Thyroid problems, Fibromyalgia, Infertility, Anxiety, Depression, ADD/ADHD and more and Stop Fighting Cancer and Start Treating the Cause.   He and his wife served at missionaries in Monterray, Mexico where they ministered to the poorest of the poor while homeschooling their four children.  We are going to be exploring questions like, “Why do I still feel so lousy? Why aren’t my medications working?” and “Why can’t my doctor figure me out?” Listen in to learn how to ask our doctors better questions, and why always asking “WHY?” is a must!  Doctor Conners hosts his own show here on Toginet Radio which you can listen to every week on Wednesdays at 10am CT.  Get yourself a tall, cold drink and join us this Friday for a healthy discussion that will change your life.  

This week I am thrilled to welcome back Marcia Washburn who holds a Master’s in Music Education and taught public school music for eight years prior to the birth of the oldest of her five sons, whom she and her husband homeschooled in rural Colorado for nineteen years.  During her last visit with me Marcia told us all about running a homeschooling workshop for the Shuar Indians in Ecuador.  Today she is going to be telling us how we can include music in our homeschool curriculum without being particularly musical. Marcia is also writing a Management for Moms Series of e-books in which she covers hot topics such as obedience and discipline as well as housework and car mechanics not to mention the day-to-day parenting, educational, financial, and spiritual challenges we face as we keep our focus on God and his plan for our family’s legacy.  Building tomorrow's generation is not for the faint hearted and Marcia, with her warmth and humour, will help us with the tools we need to build a firm foundation for our children that won’t crumble under pressure.  Bring your tea on Friday and discover Beethoven Who? Family Fun with Music, Marcia Washburn's user friendly answer to teaching etudes and much, much more!  

My guest this week is with me to talk about a very sensitive question, “When does protecting our children become snooping?”  Jennifer Foster has a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh and is the founder of Secret Drug Test.  She provides information, advice and comforting support to families of drug addicted children through her blog, website, and a series of videos focusing on various aspects of dealing with drug addiction and ways to take action through testing.  Jennifer lost her brother to drugs which has made her determined to help others who find they are dealing with the crisis within their home.  Her mission is to provide the tools necessary for families to regain control of their lives and be empowered to take action. I know you will find Jennifer’s handling of this topic compassionate as we discuss how parents can prepare themselves to face their own children or minister to others in our community who are suffering from this unwelcome demon.  Join us on Friday for a cup of tea and a discussion that will help us understand what our children may be facing in the future and how to combat the threats that may arise.

My guest this week homeschooled three of her children through high school and has one left to go!  She writes books, lots of them and won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Her book, Life Interrupted, was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. She shares Jesus' love through volunteering as a mentor for teenage moms in her community, and ministering in the Czech Republic on regular missions trips where her daughter is currently serving.  She lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her family and the dog and once a week hosts a show called Living Inspired here on Toginet radio, Thursdays at 3pm CT.  Tricia Goyer invites women everywhere to cast aside discouragement and fear to live real life, inspired!  Join us this week for a cup of Earl Grey and a rich tea as we talk about finding out what God’s doing and linking arms with Him!

Do you have a big picture of what education really is? How do you encourage your children to grow in their knowledge and compassion for the world?  Have you discovered the ingredients for a solid homeschool curriculum?  How do you unleash a passion for the written word?  This week I am delighted to welcome back Sarita Holzmann as my guest.  Sarita will answer these questions and many more while we explore the benefits of using a literature based curriculum in our homeschools to give our children the gift of lifelong learning.  As the co-founder and president of Sonlight Curriculum she reads all the books that land on her desk before selecting the ones that eventually end up on your kitchen table!  Come and join us this Friday as we compare notes over a nice cup of tea and a biscuit. 

My guest this week is Brenda Nixon a fellow host here on Toginet radio.  Her show airs on Tuesdays at 10am ET and is called The Parent's Plate.  Brenda blends practical parenting tips with child development and is an unusual and popular keynote speaker at events and workshops in more than 10 states.  She says she is a media fave on the NBC TV affiliate in Columbus, OH, the FOX TV affiliate in Kansas City, and Atlanta's Kevin & Taylor in the Morning on WFSH-FM.  Speaking aside Brenda is also an author and penned the award winning book, THE BIRTH TO FIVE BOOK, as well as co-authoring A SCRAPBOOK OF CHRISTMAS FIRSTS.  She is a contributor to 30 titles, including several in the New York Times best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Today she is going to empower your child rearing skills by offering insights and encouragement to everyone listening, so get yourself a cuppa and sit down!

I’m talking to Ann Zeise this week who is returning, after a couple of years, with lots of news about her business, A 2 Z Home’s Cool.  Ann homeschooled her son and when he graduated she took the journey from teacher of one to teacher of the world using her creativity to produce a comprehensive education site.  Her son now works in her company and together they manage the 1,000 plus pages from her green home in California.  Ann and I are going to be talking about new trends in homeschooling, her site and some of the ways she and her family have come up with to make the dollars stretch.  Join me this week with a cuppa and together we’ll hit the high spots of Ann’s comprehensive website.

Do you ever wonder why when things get tough you inevitably get sick?  How many times have you heard someone chide you by saying, “it’s the body’s way of slowing you down?”  My guest this week will tell you that there’s enough evidence now to prove that when our brains are exhausted our immune system takes a dive.  Julie Anderson is a survivor of marriage and 16 years of homeschooling whose experiences led her to write, “Quickest Way to Insanity:  Homeschool Your Kids.”   In her book she takes a refreshing, helpful and often irreverent look at the ins and outs of home education without sacrificing the brain in the process.  Julie will answer some very critical questions like “why are some people so difficult to get on with?’ and “how can I be less stressed while giving my all to my children?”  As a pubic speaker, business and homeschool consultant Julie has been lecturing on the brain personality connection for 11 years.   Do yourself a favour and join me with a cup of tea on Friday for some encouraging words as you continue on, or are just beginning, your homeschooling journey and discover how to take the brain into consideration when choosing curriculum or the perfect ball and chain!

My guest this week is Katie Sullivan M.S., SLP-CCC, a speech language pathologist with 17 years experience teaching both typical and atypical learners and 5 years experience homeschooling.  Katie is the mother of 5 children, including twin boys with special needs. She is an avid homesteader and experienced crafter, who, thanks to her Mother, has more than 25 years experience in handicrafts, candlemaking and soapmaking, which she now teaches.  Katie is currently pursuing a second Masters in History and French, and her library card always has the maximum amount of books checked out. She lives on a one acre homestead, with her husband, her own Mr. Darcy who grew up in England, and their 5 children, 3 dogs, 10 chickens, 8 ducks and 7 turkeys in the gorgeous Southwest. We are going to be talking about...a lot...travelling, sharing chores, gathering eggs, feeding chickens and her blog called BrightonParkBlog.  Katie hopes, through her writings and our chat today, to encourage other parents of special needs children to realize that homeschooling can be an option for them and be successful when things are kept positive and encouraging.  Come along and join us, with your tea and a little bit of apple tart to keep you going, this Friday.

Mike Donnelly, from the Home School Legal Defense Association, returns to my show this week wearing his dad hat.  When he’s not talking to me Mike serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for member affairs and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia.  Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which he has shared with us over the years on my show.

Mike and his hard working colleagues at HSLDA defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children and their convictions ensure that homeschooling remains a parental choice for all of us.  Today we are going to be chatting about some of the questions any parent may have while raising their children as strong Christians and future leaders: college debt, church liberalism and how to raise your sons to be men.  Pull up a chair and snag a cup of tea and listen in this Friday.

Did you know that everything happens through conversations?  Nothing exists that didn’t live once as a thought?  Assuming is the biggest barrier to effective communication?  Exciting stuff for wordmongers like me!  I am thrilled to welcome Lisa Giruzzi to my show today an expert in communications, not the technical stuff but the thoughts that pop out of our mouths, sometimes without permission!  Lisa and I are going to spend our time together exploring ways to bring what she does with corporate executives into our homes, and look at the key elements necessary for family members to achieve their goals and create the life they want.  She is the author of 31 Days to Transform Your Life, Bringing out the best in Your Employees: and co-author of the Amazon bestseller, 42 Rules for Creating WE.  She is also a co-host of the television talk show, Real Conversations, and is a dynamic speaker captivating audiences with her powerful message at keynotes, presentations and workshops nationwide.  Join me this week to discover ways to communicate with others in order to build what you want rather than go over things that can’t be changed.  

My job is to bust stereotypes and referring to my guest this week as a diva could strike some sensitive chords!  But let me clarify, a diva is a Prima Donna, a first lady and Sabrina Justison, playwright, singer-songwriter and fellow thespian, is a diva in her field.  Sabrina teaches acting classes, leads one week intensive Drama Camps and talks about Performing Arts at homeschool conventions.  She is going to help me take the arched eyebrow out of reactions to theatre and homeschooling being mentioned in the same breath when we talk about theatre being really good for the whole family!  Joking aside Sabrina has taught Fine Arts, Literature, Writing, and Latin, writes blogs for the 7Sisters website, for busy, or set in their ways, or rookie, or old hand homeschoolers everywhere.  Join us with your coffee this Friday and be entertained! 

This week my guest is Jane Dolby who has a public relations business called Delicious PR. She has a background in music and psychology and quips that it didn't take her long to discover she was better at promoting music than making it!  She now helps emerging artists develop their profiles.  We first met just over a year ago while I was visiting prospective digs with my student daughter in Leigh-on-Sea.  Although I’d set up three places to visit she was the only person I connected with that afternoon despite several attempts to meet with the other landladies.   God obviously had other plans!  My daughter had said she would “know”whether she wanted to live in the house by its feel.  A cheery, “do you want a cup of tea?” called from the kitchen to us standing at the open front door swept all her fears away!  One year on and Jane has agreed to join me for another cup of tea and natter this afternoon when we are going to be talking about the dramatic turn her life took three years ago.  

Today I am welcoming back one of my first guests from March 2010!  Julie Meekins and I talked about the diagnosis of her youngest child’s CHARGE Syndrome and the positive measures she, her husband and family took to help her daughter progress through the natural development of her body, step by step.  Julie is a certified neurodevelopmentalist and takes a holistic approach to child development.  She has also graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  Julie and her husband founded March Forth Family and use their vast experience to help parents with children who have learning challenges big and small.  Join us today for a cuppa as we talk about quirky behaviours, social skills, disorganisation and so much more. 

Gretchen Roe from the Calvert School is my guest this week and we are going to be talking about the challenges faced by single homeschoolers who are very creative in how they bring home the bacon while managing to home educate their children.  We will be discussing the reality of living on one income in a two income world.  Provisions still need to be made for that rainy day which is a real possibility in our economically unstable world.  How do we support our spouses both financially and emotionally when the going gets tough and the coffers are empty?  Join me on Friday when Gretchen and I will talk about these difficult topics and acknowledge that God is sovereign and homeschooling is within reach despite our employment status.   

This Good Friday Robert Velarde, from the Wisdom of Pixar and Sonlight Curriculum, is going to join me and together we are going to reflect on the meaning of Lent, Holy Week and our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection.  Robert is going to be sharing his personal walk from Atheismto Christianity with us.  By meditating on Christ’s redemption, particularly during this season of the church year, we all undergo renewal and personal change along our Christian walk, something we are called to do regularly.  We will have some Passion readings from the bible and hymn book, that are heard this week in church and in the end we will take a look at Easter for the modern man and what it means in the world today.   I look forward to you joining us this Friday for a hallowed hour to prepare us for the glory and Good News of Easter Sunday.  With cap and cup of tea in hand let’s remember who is Lord.  

I am excited to be welcoming my school teacher daughter to my show this week.  Paris McNeny reminded me that although she has spoken with me on Toginet Radio before it has always been in the company of her siblings.  She holds the title of first born daughter in the family and graduated top of her homeschool senior year.  She served as a missionary to Africa on The Mercy Ships, a large floating hospital bringing hope to the forgotten poor off the coast of West Africa.  Paris has always had a deep affiliation for children and on her return to America she attended college to get her Associate of Arts Degree in Education and a certificate for teaching special needs children.  When we left for England she high tailed it to the beach and lives in Corpus Christi in sight of the sea, although she dislikes the feel of sand between her toes.  She works as a teacher to support her studies at the local community college and to keep a roof over her head and food on her table.  Pour yourselves a cup of tea and join us to hear how this independent young lady is following her dream by making a difference in young people’s lives.  

I am welcoming back a British homeschooler who had a few surprising facts about education here when we chatted last year.  Steve Richards is one of the directors of Northstar Worldwide which offers support and resources to homeschooling families all over the world.  Steve is also a founding member of one of the home education groups in England called Home Service and he has spoken widely on the topic of home education in the United Kingdom and overseas.  Both he and his wife, Lyn, homeschooled their children and we are going to be talking about the flexibility of home education, Northstar Worldwide and touch on some of the secular issues in the forefront of British society today that may or may not be threatening Christianity. So join us and stir it up a little over a cup of tea on Friday.  

My guest this week is Linda Pilkington who was a struggling reader destined to become an illiteracy statistic until her fourth grade teacher stepped in. Linda learned that reading was fun!  She has since turned the written word into a career and owns an online business selling greetings cards and book club products.  City Castles formed the platform to launch her dream of one day writing, promoting and publishing a book.  Linda’s story of perseverance and faith in God is one only she can tell.  She has developed tools for teachers and parents to bring reading alive for their children through narration, role-playing and out loud readings.  Listen on Friday as Linda and I natter on about her books and how you too can have your reluctant readers saying, “reading is fun, I want to keep doing it.”  Bring your cuppa and join us.   

My guest this week is my blue eyed son, Simon McNeny, who graduated from homeschool, the local Community College, and finally Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries. He works with the Okapi at the Dallas Zoo where his job is not that different from the chores he did around the house while he was growing up, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning!  Simon has known he wanted to work with animals since he was very young, he put in at least 4500 volunteer hours at the animal shelter thinking he was getting out of school but he wasn’t really!  By the time he was 14 he was known as the reptile expert and giving presentations at local schools.  Now he gives keeper talks, helps train his animals and has just returned from a week in Florida where he did a workshop learning how to train birds at the Steve Martin Natural Encounters Ranch. You’ll want to learn how positive reinforcement works not only with animals but with children and adults too!  Join us this Friday for a fascinating chat.

Mike Donnelly, from the Home School Legal Defense Association, returns to my show this week with more news and wisdom about homeschooling in America and Europe.  When he’s not talking to me Mike serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for Member Affairs and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia.  His work at HSLDA is to defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children.  Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which he has shared with us over the years on my show.  Today we are going to talk about the impact governments are having on homeschooling and how they are threatening our God given rights as parents. Bring your favourite beverage over to your computer and tune in to my show this Friday to listen as Mike encourages us.       

I have a fascinating guest this week, Robert Velarde, homeschooling father of four, curriculum creator with Sonlight and philosopher.  Robert received his Master of Arts degree from Southern Evangelical Seminary and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Denver Seminary.  He has written, The Wisdom of Pixar, Conversations with C.S. Lewis, and The Heart of Narnia and most recently co-authored, with Sonlight founder Sarita Holzmann, a new high school curriculum called, What Good is Christianity?  Robert, like many homeschooling dads, helps his wife in the education of his offspring by focusing on the moving and performing arts portions of their curriculum and I am certain they love the fact that he shares their unbounded enthusiasm for all films Pixar.  Robert has very cleverly turned this labour of love into an exercise in the reconciliation between a Christian’s lifestyle and the world in which he finds himself today.  It won’t take you many moments to discover that Robert is a vibrant, interesting man on fire for the Lord, so why not join us on Friday for a cup of tea and a chat?  

This week I’m talking to my blue eyed cowboy who has agreed to join us for a cuppa.  Larry McNeny shared the homescholing years with me whenever he wasn’t out on the road as a Tour Manager for any number of impressive bands.  His glamourous life got the children’s interest a whole lot quicker than anything I was trying to do with them!  “Did Ozzy really bite the head off a bat?” is a must know for young, impressionable teens and my cowboy spent many a happy hour regaling them with wild and exciting stories from his life.  Today though we’re not going to be talking about his job, we’ve done that in a previous show called, Rock and Roll Savvy.  What are we going to be talking about?  Love of course!  How we met and his secret to a long and successful marriage so snatch some kisses and tune in this Friday for a special Valentine’s show!

Come and meet Barbara Allisen a life long kindergartener who loves to play with puzzles and blocks, build with lego and make crafts, shape play-dough and read Big Books all day long.   Affectionately known as Mrs. A. she carries the memories of more than 1,000 children’s school beginnings in her heart. Barbara’s kindergarten and preschool experience includes inner city, private, big new & very small old schools both public and independent.   Barbara believes that although children make up 20% of the population they are 100% of the future and being ready for Kindergarten is the key.  She has a kindergarten readiness website and is the author of the book, 123 Kindergarten:  Everything your child Needs to Learn Before Kindergarten.  Tune in and join our conversation this Friday and learn how to target learning skills at home while still having fun with your tot.  

My guest this week first came to my attention as I was prowling around my biggest fan’s website.  We have a mutual friend, thanks Tina for the intro!  I am thrilled to welcome Rebecca Kochenderfer to my show.  Rebecca is the Senior Editor for Homeschool.com. hailed as the #1 homeschooling site on the Internet by yahoo, google, and Forbes Magazine, with over 2 million visitors a year. Rebecca is the co-author of, Homeschooling for Success:  How Parents Can Create a Superior Education For Their Child and more recently, Homeschooling and Loving It a book that will take its reader step by step through the how to’s of teaching at home from beginning to end.   Rebecca educated her three children at home and loved every minute of it!  Join me on Friday, at the usual time, to be inspired no matter where you are on your homeschooling journey.

Luke Holzmann is the son of John and Sarita Holzmann, founders of Sonlight Curriculum, and my guest this week!  He was homeschooled through 8^th grade, went to public high school and then attended Biola University on swimming and academic scholarships where he studied Motion Picture Production.  Today, he works at Sonlight, promoting homeschooling as an excellent option, if not a fully comprehensive education experience.  He writes captivating blogs that are thought provoking with links that may take you to places where angels fear to tread.  He is working on his media production mentoring website: Production-Now.com, which he hopes will lure homeschoolers who love film.  He describes himself as a writer, film-maker, empty nester, so join me on Friday for a cuppa and a natter with this interesting young man.  

Laura Grace Weldon is a poet whose poems have been published, but not the ones she likes!  She is an author, her new book, Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything, tells of the curative value of connecting more deeply with nature and letting go.  She is an artist, a messy one at that, a tincture and meal concoctor both skills demanding courage and a degree of risk from their recipients.  She has deadlines but would rather hide in books or watch foreign films than meet them.  Laura admits that complete self-reliance is happily not her goal and farm dwelling allows her to sing to bees, feed cows, preach about hope, acknowledge the holiness of all things and find peace, sometimes.  With her husband and four homeschooled children they raise plants, animals and occasionally Caine in their simple partnership with the natural world.  Her socks have holes in them, the window moulding is unfinished, there are muddy footprints by the door, but none of that matters, she and her family are together exploring ways to be themselves using ancient wisdom.  Come and meet this lovely lady on Friday, bring a cuppa and prepare to laugh while we talk about her book, her life and how to almost make a living on a farm with relentless doses of optimism! 

My guest this week is a little different from the norm.  I thought that the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Iraq, just in time for Christmas, was a subject that potentially affects everyone in our nation so I invited my friend Sandra Beck to join me today.  Sandra hosts two Shows here on Toginet Radio: Military Mom Talk Radio and Motherhood Talk Radio.  She is an active contributor and participant in many charities and strives to make the world a better place for today’s and our future’s children. Near to her heart are Toys for Tots, World of Children, Children Uniting Nations, Operation Gratitude which provides American civilians a way to express their respect and appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Military, by sending care packages addressed to individual soldiers and Harvesting Happiness for Heroes.  Sandra is an author, coach, speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist and, most importantly, the mother of two young boys who keep her on her toes.  She was born in a small town outside Buffalo, New York, and attended Northwestern University where she earned both her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and her Master’s Degree in Advertising.   Join me on Friday and find out how the lives of thousands of military families are changing, and what we can do to support our troops and all involved who risk their lives for our freedoms.

For my first show of the New Year I am delighted to be talking to my dear friend Gretchen Roe, community liaison for the Calvert School.  We are going to be unveiling a new joint venture Calvert is involved in with the Jemicy School for children with reading difficulties.  Gretchen is also going to be sharing with us the good news of her husband’s new job and how she and her family rose to the challenge and uncertainty of unemployment.   Gretchen’s job has her traveling around America to talk at numerous conferences about the Calvert Curriculum and how homeschooling is not purely school at home.  She will re-assure those of us who are a little behind in curriculum selection that Calvert can be started successfully at any time of the year.  With her informative blogs on the Calvert website and her creative webinars, which always have something new to offer, she is there to support you along your homeschooling journey.  Join us for a cup of tea and a slice of apple pie and cream this Friday and listen in to our little natter about new ventures and a tried and tested curriculum.

For the last show of the year I have invited three of my friends to help us navigate the New Year and the twelve months it holds without setting too many goals.  They will give us their top tips on choosing what to add or take away from our lives and urge us to be kind to ourselves.  Ally is host of This Little Parent Stayed Home where she keeps her listeners uplifted and motivated each week on Fridays at 5pm CT.  Sandy hosts Heartfilled Holidays a weekly Toginet show airing on Mondays at 1pm CT, about how we can make holidays and festivities an enhancement to our lives.  Dr. Ann is a licensed psychologist, yoga teacher and meditation guide, as you can probably guess her ethos is all about mindfulness and slowing down which she blogs about weekly on her website.  Bring a seasonal drink and come and unwind this Friday, before the festivities start.  You’ll get some fantastic and doable ideas! 

How much of your traditional holiday activities will show up in your children’s homes when they move on?  This week I am talking to my four children about what they remember, the good and the not so good, about the busiest time of the year in the McNeny household.  The shows, the concerts, the church services, the wreaths, the books, the tree, the cards, the food, the smells, the crèches and losing the baby Jesus!  Come and have fun with me and my children as we reminisce about what the photographs showed as magical times versus what really went on behind the scenes!  Bring a cuppa and prepare to laugh!

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages I bring you the greatest show on earth!  My guest this week is Omar Abderrahman who will share a snippet of his extraordinary childhood with us.  Omar’s non-traditional education will cast out all those doubts about deprivation and lost opportunities some parents feel when they’re having a bad homeschool day!  He is a personal family friend who mentioned, one fine day when he heard we were considering homeschooling, that he was homeschooled!  After running away from the circus Omar spent the next 30 years traveling on the road with some pretty impressive names in the music and entertainment industry.  He formed his own production company in 1994 and manages and produces events, concert tours, corporate shows, TV and film. Join me on Friday to hear some spectacular, breath-taking and extravagant stories from Omar whose uncommon childhood and Calvert Education did absolutely nothing to cramp his style!  This will be a show worth stopping for so grab a cuppa!

Northstar Worldwide offers support and resources to homeschooling families all over the world.  I am happy to welcome one of their directors, Steve Richards, to my show this week.  Steve is a founding member of one of the home education groups in England called Home Service and he has spoken widely on the topic of home education in the United Kingdom and overseas.  Both he and his wife, Lyn, homeschool their children and we are going to be talking about Education in general and in particular in England.  Quoted as saying, “Home educators do not need schools, do not need trained teachers and they do not need the state,” Steve and I are ready to stir it up over a cup of tea on Friday.  So come and listen in!

How do you go from being the head editor of the New York Times' front page website, night edition, managing a team of editors and producers to being the principal facilitator of your homeschool, empowering a cluster of eager young minds?  My guest this week, Laura Noueihed, is going to be answering this question for us when she opens a window onto her life of word mongering and child raising.  Laura has her Master of Science in Journalism, with concentrations in print and new media, from Columbia University where she was a professor.  When she’s not playing with words Laura loves water skiing and scuba diving, experimenting with traditional cooking of various cultures, and is equally happy absorbed in a good novel or browsing a screen full of programming code.  Make yourselves a cuppa and join me this Friday as Laura and I chat about the diversion she took to pour her gifts and talents into the future generation. 

My series on graduated homeschoolers is almost at a close and this week I thought I’d bring you two nearly graduated students who are on the cusp of moving up and away from their homeschools. Callan Roe is an exuberant 17 year old, horse lover with ambitions to pursue an international business degree.  Ready to take the world by storm she is keen to tell you all about herself.  Zoe Cottrell Bentley is a 15 year old scientist with ambitions.  One of them is to work as an exogeologist for NASA.  You’ll have to listen in to hear her others.  She has her own web site and has conducted a few interviews herself.  She is also the co-author of a YA novel entitled, Fractured Fate.   Join us on Friday for a different view of the future through young and intelligent eyes.     

Jonathan & Linnea Lewis are my guests today.  They are newly weds and on fire to talk about what happened to them after the work at the kitchen table was done.  As a couple they have an unusual combination of experience in the area of higher education and the work force.  Linnea used Accelerated Distance Learning to earn a BA in 18 months for a fraction of the normal cost.  She then went on to study for and sit her paralegal certification exams, all from the comfort of her own home with the help of her trusty computer.   She does freelance graphic design from a home office and for something completely different, she has also taught piano.  Jonathan launched into entrepreneurial endeavors very quickly after finishing high school skipping all forms of higher education completely.  He helped start Home School Enrichment Magazine, a national Christian homeschooling magazine in America, about to enter its 10th year of publication.  They are a feisty couple who are prepared to discuss the diversity of options open to non college bound graduates.  They are living proof that homeschoolers don't have to follow a specific path after high school just because everyone else is doing it.  Their message in a nutshell?  Carry on being different.  Join us on Friday with an open mind and a warm heart and welcome this couple into your homes for an hour.

Ever wonder how homeschoolers feel about their lot in life once they get to college or join the workforce? Laura Lee Ellis and Joshua Williams, both lifelong homeschoolers, will be talking to me this week about how home-educating families can prepare their students for college, adulthood and beyond.  Laura will tell why she feels homeschooling uniquely prepared her for her earthly journey.  In her blog, Life as a Rough Draft, she offers tips on how to take home education to the next level and thrive. Joshua will be talking to us from Italy where he is continuing his degree as a primary age teacher.  Together they will be extolling the important roles their parents played in their lives and how they, as individuals, stand out from the crowd in a positive way.  Pour yourselves some tea, dunk a few chocolate biscuits and listen on Friday to a lively and encouraging discussion with two outstanding lifelong homeschoolers.

Highland dancing and horse riding were two of the subjects Jenni Hodgman took at her Australian homeschool and after graduation, instead of going to University, she took a gap year or three to discover the world and unravel her dream.  She has danced with OzScot Australia in Edinburgh, Oman and Sydney.  She and a friend backpacked through Europe.  In Alberta, Canada, she was introduced to a top Western horse trainer, who offered her a job for the summer.  Her family took a very unstructured approach to homeschooling which rubbed off on this young lady who, after several gap years decided to return to Australia to get educated.  Today she is working in a pub and studying a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University.  Jenni is following her homeschooled principles of studying what she enjoys.  Join us this Friday and hear how she has taken her un-schooling experience and ridden and danced her way around the world!  You’ll be captivated by this bright young woman.

My guest this week is a Pakistani born British resident who, with his Scottish wife, homeschools their two children.  During this hour we will find out how cultural dynamics have helped cement their family into a successfully homogenous unit.  Imran Shah, a child protection social worker, public speaker and outspoken objector to the last labour Government’s attempts at further regulating home education in Britain, will be talking to me about the Hedders movement in the U.K.  While his children were still young he researched child development, attachment and the history of education in Britain and turned to his wife one day with the suggestion that they never send their children to school and entrust them to strangers. Join us on Friday for an interesting look at autonomous education in my motherland and learn how all kinds of differences are overcome in the Shah household for the sake of the family.    

Eli Gerzon returns as my guest this week having been one of the first visitors to my show back in 2010.  He is a self motivated young man who left school at fifteen when he discovered an alternative way to educate himself.  He is in good company with Richard Branson, Michael Dell and the late Steve Jobs all of whom left school or college to pursue their own dreams.  He took courses in anthropology and linguistics from Harvard before allowing his love for travel to blossom into his own business called World School Travel Tours.  He takes homeschooling teenagers on journeys to Europe and Japan where they can learn so much more without having to crack a text book.  We are going to talk about the safety of the soul, the meaning of education and how we can achieve it outside the institution.  So tune in and be treated to an hour of philosophical thinking, this Friday with Eli Gerzon.     

Are you on the Mama Bus?  Do you want to be?  Are you giving your children an uncommon childhood?  Do you know what a third culture child is?   Are you part of the Edventure Project?  If any of your answers to these questions are, “you what?” then you’ll want to hear the conversation with my guest this week where I will be dipping my toes into the Atlantic and waggling my fingers in the Pacific with Jennifer Miller, bus driver extraordinaire.  Jennifer is passing on her legacy of an uncommon childhood to her four children and everyone else in the world eager to jump on her Mamabus.  Jennifer and her husband, have spent the last four 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 join her adventure, I promise!  She and a bus load of eleven children, ranging in age from 2-15 are on the road as we speak homeschooling their way across America without television, video games, internet or fast food!  Come and catch them while you can, this Friday, bring your tea and a home made goody and let’s travel.

I am delighted to welcome Shannah Godfrey back to my show this week.  The last time we spoke we heard what she had to say about reading, articulation, and teaching myths before we quickly ran out of time.  Today we are going to be talking about good parenting practices, mistakes we make when teaching reading, self esteem and whether it is reasonable to expect your child to have left home by the time he or she turns thirty.  Shannah was a gifted child herself and she will tell us why she could wait to go to college.  She is a strong advocate for direct instruction but does not believe in pushing a child until he or she is ready.  Join me and this fascinating educator, who invented the Godfrey Method, a phonics reading programme that has proven children don’t have to be rocket scientists in order to master reading.  We will talk about her life and how she succeeds in a man’s world and homeschools her 14 children!  You may need something stronger than tea to get you through this, add a biscuit or two and breathe deeply before tuning in this Friday.

My guest this week is the author of a new book, School is Where the Home Is: 180 Devotions for Parents. Her collection of anecdotal devotionals offers practical helps and biblical truths for fellow home schooling parents.   Anita Mellott was born in India and grew up devouring books and mangoes.  Prior to moving to the United States, she headed the Department of Journalism at Mt. Carmel College, Bangalore, India.  For thirteen years, she worked as a writer/editor with Habitat for Humanity International.  Anita is currently in her eighth year as a home educator and has first-hand experience with the ups and downs, the joys and challenges of the homeschooling life. Join us this Friday for a sampling of Anita’s unique brand of encouragement and spiritual enrichment.

Debra Bell used to be a public school teacher until she discovered John Holt!  She went on to homechool her four children for eighteen years and they all grew up, went to college and got jobs!  This week she is taking time out from her busy schedule to join me and talk about teen homeschoolers and the digital age.  Debra speaks at the Apologia Live Retreats where she encourages homeschooling Mums.  Since retiring from teaching at home she has been working towards her PhD in educational psychology.  She is the author of those ultimate books, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, The Ultimate Guide to Homechooling Teens and most recently, The Ultimate Planning System from Apologia.  She is involved in her local homeschool community and loves to share her expertise at conferences and seminars.  Come and bask in Debra’s warmth and candor as she chats to me this Friday about college at home, equivalency tests and distance learning.  

This week I am extending a warm welcome back to a regular guest on my show, Mike Donnelly, from the Home School Legal Defense Association, where he serves as staff attorney and director of International relations. Mike and his hard working colleagues at HSLDA defend both the American and International right to choose how to educate our children.  Mike and his wife home school their seven children and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which he has shared with us over the years on my show.  Today we are going to talk about apprenticeships and vocational paths our homeschoolers may choose to follow instead of college, and tied into that we will discuss the military as a career option.  Bring your favourite cuppa this Friday and listen in as Mike encourages us, as always, to be the parents God created us to be and the steps we can take to ensure the blessings and freedoms we have to homeschool now are secured for posterity.  

This week my guest is a multi-tasking, ideas Mum who lets her creative juices flow and overflow onto her children and other people’s children through her work with various local non profits as well as her websites.  Tina Smith lives in Fresno, California, where she is president of The Learning Village Homeschool Resource Centre and a board member of the Discovery Centre, where she spent many years happily working before becoming a Mum.  She is the creator of Mommy Chats a live chat room site for moms to connect with moms and she maintains Central Valley’s best online parenting resource, Fresnofamily.com.  Amazingly she is also the author of a book, “How to Create a High Quality ‘Mommy and Me’ Program,” based on the work she did out of her home for several years when her children were really young.  You’d better have your coffee with you when you join us this Friday, Tina is a whirlwind of a woman so hold on tight! 

I am going to be talking with world traveler, Lisa Shusterman, this week as she returns to the airwaves to continue a conversation we started at the beginning of July.  This time we will talk about how after her return she found she had a different perspective on life.  She will tell us how she packed for a year when most of us struggle with taking too much for a week.  Lisa homeschooled her twin girls while on this adventure and with the help of her husband, achieved something that changed all of their lives forever.  Join us this Friday to learn how she and her family handled being home again after a non traditional year on the road.  Bring a cup of tea and put your life on hold for an hour with Lisa and me.  

My guests this week are Ian McNeny and Shelby Cook, lifelong friends, creative minds and both products of homeschooling throughout most of their lives. They are going to talk to us about life as homeschoolers, the opportunities they were able to take advantage of because they weren’t chained to a school desk and the flexibility it afforded them once they were released from the basement. They both describe themselves as “all round creative guy[s]…” and they are. One pursuing film and post production work, the other a singer/songwriter with a talent for graphic design, they have both soldiered ahead in their respective fields and are well on the way to be successful in the industries their talents lend themselves to.  They have also made several films including a Jedi Dispute Series in which they taught themselves the fine art of roto-scoping over 200,000 lightsaber effects, a James Bond film called Queen of the Canal, filmed on location in both America and England, and many film shorts that have been posted on YouTube.  Growing up they met and spent countless hours volunteering and performing for a combined 40+ plays and musicals with the local theatres.  One of them is my son, and the other has been around longer than Ian had been alive prior to meeting.  Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to the accounts of two reel live homeschoolers’ full and never boring life, this Friday. Plenty of laughs over a cup of tea!

Gretchen Roe, community liaison for Calvert School is returning as my guest this week.  We are going to be talking about her ability to balance the roles of wife, mother and teacher while still having a career.  For example, in addition to talking at numerous conferences this summer about the popular topic of Homeschooling versus School at Home, Gretchen has been up to her eyes in preparations for her eldest son’s wedding!  You will discover how she makes her life work and be encouraged that not every moment is a Kodak moment!  Gretchen’s advice about which direction to take once school is out will help you to steer your charges along a Godly path and discover ways to use their gifts and talents wisely. You won’t want to miss this amazing woman who is the mother of six children ranging in age from 5 to early 20’s.  Come and have a cup of tea with us, and a slice of refrigerator chocolate cake, this Friday and listen in to our little natter about preparing for the future.  

Do you know what a Favicon is?  If your child wanted to be an exogeologist would you be over the moon?  Join me this Friday to hear the answers to these questions and more when I welcome back to my show, Lisa Cottrell Bentley.  Lisa is a writer, editor, publisher and business owner who goes with the flow when it comes to homeschooling and puts her daughters first in her busy life.  Lisa and her family live in the Arizona desert and have published four books in the Wright on Time series about an RV-living, homeschooling family who love being together, have no emotional or physical hang ups and travel America while learning on the road.  Lisa is a radical unschooling Mum whose children really have it together.  Make yourself a pot of tea and join us for an hour this week while we talk about love, life and the pursuit of happiness.