About
I suppose you could call Five J's a mommy blog, but I write about more than just my daily routine — of course, that's assuming I stick to a routine at all. Which I don't.
I started Five J's in October of 2007, the day after I set up my oldest two children with their own blogs for writing school assignments (you can visit their blogs here and here). I hadn't planned on starting my own blog at all. After all, my husband had been blogging for years, practically before the term blog was coined, and I hadn't cared to start one in all that time.
I don't know. Maybe it's just human nature, but as soon as my kids had blogs, I didn't want to be the only blog-less one in the family. I wanted one, too.
And Five J's was born.
My blog is called Five J's for lack of a more creative title (if you missed it in my header, I'm Joy, my husband is Jeff, and my three children also have "J" names). I did toy with the idea of calling the blog something like Where Weirdness Begins or Two Minutes Till Mommy Burnout, but Five J's was shorter to type. So the name stuck.
I'm a 30-something, work-from-home, homeschooling mom. As such, I often blog about the trials and challenges — oh yes, and the joys — of homeschooling. But you might also catch me writing about saving money, cooking, piano, and reading good books, or whatever else catches my interest.
I've successfully completed five years of college, but I still don't have a degree. In 2001, I nearly completed nursing school, but dropped out to give birth to my third child. I have since been able to stay at home with my kids, where I really want to…and need to be.
My husband is the full-time worship leader at our church, and I teach piano lessons from home, in addition to making a little extra money on the side doing graphic design projects.
I'm a chocoholic. A bookaholic. A grammar-nazi. And a Jesus Freak. I'm not a great cook, but I aspire to be. I've also been called a geek more times than I care to say.
If you have a question, feel free to contact me here.
Thanks for stopping by!
Click here for my disclosure policy.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Just came across your blog while searching for homeschooling logos. Had to laugh at what I was reading — it sounded so autobiographical at times. I have matching children to your first 2, down to the lego mania. I showed my son your son's blog, and he immediately named the bionicle your son was building in the pics. We also have a "pet" spider outside, and a preying mantis inside. Just wanted to say Hi, and well done.
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Hi, was looking for something to help my 5th grader with states and postal abbreviations, and found yours. I love it. I've always wanted to homeschool. I've checked it out dozens and dozens and dozens and … well ….many times. But…always a but…my 8th and 5th grader are doing great in school. The 8th grader loves school and her friends, and the extra-cirricular activities that she is involved it. I don't know that she'd like homeschooling as well. Plus, it can be expensive. The 5th grader wouldn't mind at all if she became a homeschooled kid. She does great in school, with her studies, and with her social thing, but she'd love to try homeschooling. So..I compromise in my own way. I find ways to help the children find things to help them in their studies, to prepare for up-coming tests and so on. How do you do your homeschooling? Couldn't a person find enough thru their computer so they wouldn't have to BUY so much? Anyway, I will come back her quit often and check out other things you have I can use to help my daughters. PS…I've also got 6 grown children, ages 20 – 31, so I have ..yes…8, and I gave birth to every singleton! The older kids went thru school, but times were different and more difficult then. The one should have been homeschooled! He HATED school. Now he's 27, and he'll tell you he hated school. The others pretty much squeaked by. Life is much easier with only 2 children home, at least where school is concerned.
I did go onto myspace.com and we are on it. I don't know if you can find it by my e-mail or not. I don't go on it much. My older kids do go to my page.
Take care, and thanks…kk
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You home school your kids? God bless you!!!
I would not trust the state with my kid's education…so much crap going on in the schools….
Just look at the "school culture" today in terms of "back to school". Please tell me why kids need a notebook that is outfitted with an MP3 player….and by notebook,, I don't mean a laptop…
If you are a voracious reader, may I suggest a really good book that you can pick up at Barnes and Nobles…it is called THREE CUPS OF TEA….and it is about education in the most desolate and most poorest areas of the Middle East.
One American actually went out to Pakistan armed with $12,000 and built schools for these education-starved children. I read the book and it brought tears to my eyes.
I strongly reco this book. The author is Greg Mortenson…
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Found you last week and I am enjoying your blog thoroughly! It's a great resource…thanks for sharing!
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I just came across your Latin conjugation and declension charts. What a wonderful resource! Thank you!
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Enjoy reading your blogs. We have some similarities. God Bless.
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Joy – I LOVE your blog. I already knew you were quite creative from all the wonderful programs you have done at our church with VBS, etc – but girl, you just totally ROCK!!!
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