We’re the Ottos, a husband, wife, daughter and pet menagerie living in central Pennsylvania. We started our journey into homeschooling as of February 29, 2012 - Leap Day - and we're loving the leap we've made!
If you want the quick and fun intro, here are 10 things you should know about each of us; if you're interested in ACTUALLY hearing about us, beyond my husband's vestigial tail, read on!
I'm Joan. I'm 30, and I work full-time from home in a combination of roles. I'm a project manager for a personal finance blogger, as well as the online editor for my local newspaper, where I'm a columnist and blogger. I also develop websites for small businesses, churches, organizations and nonprofits. I'm also studying tae kwon do; my next test will be for my black belt in June 2013. In my "free" time - wait, what's that? - I love to read, do logic problems, play Facebook games and scrapbook. Oh, and spend ridiculous amounts of time on Pinterest. You can read more about me in a professional and personal way here, more about my finances (honest, it's worth reading) here, and more about my educational experiences here.
This is my husband, Chris. He's 42, and he also works at our local paper, as the sports editor. His passion is ephemerology - the study of old books and papers - and his blog, Papergreat, is an AMAZING look into that topic. You wouldn't know it could be so fascinating, but it really is, and he's helped us turn "paper scavenging" into a family hobby. We also run our own small used bookstore, mostly masterminded by Chris. Chris is more reserved than I am, so I'm not sure he'll appreciate this huge shout-out, but he's an AMAZING husband and dad, and we're very lucky to have him.
Meet Sarah, the star of the show. She's 13, more or less a seventh-grader, and until February 2012 was a student at our local public middle school. She is an incredibly kind young lady who loves animals and her family (sometimes in that order), being outside, 4-H, Legos, fairy tales, craft projects, reading the Bible, playing video games (especially Minecraft) and organizing things. She doesn't like math, which is probably the biggest "drive Mom crazy" factor. (I was a college math major!) Our homeschooling journey didn't start because her old school was awful or any of the horror stories you sometimes hear. It just wasn't the best fit, and we're trying to design something that is more tailored to how Sarah, who has Asperger's, SPD and ADHD, learns and processes information. (You can read more about her educational journey here and here.) Sarah has her own blog as well called About Sarah's Life.
My mom, Joan, affectionately known as Sarah's "Mommom," also lives with us. She is an incredible lady who only recently retired from her position as a church administrative assistant and who single-handedly started and leads a Stephen Ministry program there. Mom is always incredibly supportive of anything I set my mind to, and homeschooling is no different; in fact, since she homeschooled me from fifth through seventh grade, she is even more able to really understand what we're doing! Mom is a great cook who loves to read and bake, and she's got better iPad skills than folks half her age. She's who I want to be when I grow up.
Then there's our collection of pets - 5 cats, 1 large dog and a winter white hamster. The cats are, from oldest to youngest: Salem, Mitts, Floyd, Huggles and Mr. Bill. All are rescues with some special traits. Salem and Mitts are obese; Mitts has extra toes; Mr. Bill hops like a bunny when he runs; and Huggles only has three legs. Floyd, meanwhile, lives in our master bedroom and bathroom, because he's partially blind and too nervous around the dog and other cats. You haven't lived til you share a restroom with a litterbox. I'm just saying. The dog's name is Coby, and he's a golden doodle - half golden retriever and half poodle. He's no rocket scientist, but he's the nicest dog you could ask for. And you can read ALL about the hamster here.
So that's us. Nice to meet you!
If you want the quick and fun intro, here are 10 things you should know about each of us; if you're interested in ACTUALLY hearing about us, beyond my husband's vestigial tail, read on!
Then there's our collection of pets - 5 cats, 1 large dog and a winter white hamster. The cats are, from oldest to youngest: Salem, Mitts, Floyd, Huggles and Mr. Bill. All are rescues with some special traits. Salem and Mitts are obese; Mitts has extra toes; Mr. Bill hops like a bunny when he runs; and Huggles only has three legs. Floyd, meanwhile, lives in our master bedroom and bathroom, because he's partially blind and too nervous around the dog and other cats. You haven't lived til you share a restroom with a litterbox. I'm just saying. The dog's name is Coby, and he's a golden doodle - half golden retriever and half poodle. He's no rocket scientist, but he's the nicest dog you could ask for. And you can read ALL about the hamster here.
So that's us. Nice to meet you!
