About Me

Who is Ms. Understood?

She is me!
I’m a proud Southern girl living in a little town in Northwest Florida—which, unlike south Florida, is still very much the South! I’ve been married for 16 years to a pretty amazing man. We have two boys, ages 10 and 6, and they’re homeschooled. I’m generally a happy person, but I have my frustrations and hang-ups, and this is where my title comes from. I figure I should explain that, so here goes.

I’ve been a deeply misunderstood person for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I felt like an outsider, wondering why people did the things they did, liked the things they liked, and why I was always…well…misunderstood! Put simply, I think differently —usually very differently— from most people, from important issues all the way down to small, insignificant things. I fit in with mainstream culture about as well as the proverbial square peg fits into a round hole. I hold strong opinions on many things, and those opinions almost always buck the status quo—which brings a hefty dose of scorn from many who follow it. Add to that my sense of humor, which is dark and, at times, sardonic. Even though I know it won’t be received well by most, I still can never resist. It has surely made for many a misunderstood moment!

The Ms. Understood Family

I’m blessed to have been paired with another misfit just like myself. Philip has always done his own thing and lived in his own little world…and that’s even an understatement to those who’ve known him for years. I guess that’s why we’ve stuck together for so long. It’s hard to say how long we’ve been together, because we grew up together and were best friends from high school on. Our friendship lasted through my ill-fated romantic relationships, through thousands of miles of separation, and through Philip’s years away at college. We were there for each other through it all.

One day almost 20 years ago, I opened my eyes and realized that the one person on this planet who actually understood me was right under my nose, and we’ve been a pair ever since. We enjoy life in a way that I didn’t know was possible until we paired up.

Together we have two boys, G and D. The oldest is a direct answer to many prayers, as I was told years ago that I’d never bear a child. God didn’t agree with that diagnosis, however, and thanks to his grace, I’m a mother— the only career I ever wanted. Our youngest son is just a happy bonus God decided to throw in for me. He always gives us “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

For more about the boys, see My Students.


Our Homeschool

We call our Homeschool “Arcadia Trails Academy”, a name we derived from a combination of our location just a few blocks from a historical old mill site, and the many trails that the boys have made in the connecting woods behind our house. I use an eclectic curriculum, based upon a combination of Charlotte Mason and Classical education methods. More about that in the section, Our Curriculum.

I once read that homeschooling parents are often misfits to some degree, and with that I agree wholeheartedly. We typically see things differently, we certainly live differently, and many of us can’t bear the thought of sending our children out to be indoctrinated by the NEA (and more recently, to be homogenized by Common Core standards). We don’t want our children educated inside an institution, socializing only with others their own age. We’re raising the next generation of misfits, and that is a good thing.

I’m passionate about homeschooling. I’ve found that only other homeschooling parents truly understand this passion and what’s behind it. I love to be around and share ideas with other homeschooling moms. I love the homeschool blogging community, though I’m much more of a lurker on others’ blogs than I am a contributor with my own blog. I’m trying to participate more by doing Weekly Wrap-ups, which I quite enjoy writing up each week, even if no one besides my mom is reading them.