Cyndie Bio

By Cyndie

We started homeschooling in the summer of 1993 as my oldest was entering 3rd grade, our middle was entering 1st grade and our youngest was turning 2 yrs old.  Until that time, we had been heavily involved in the Waldorf school that my older two attended through 2nd and kindergarten, respectively.  At the start of our homeschooling journey, we were more structured trying to replicate Waldorf school at home.  But I quickly came to realize that our path was to become more eclectic and we gradually moved more and more towards Unschooling.  A combination of Waldorf and Unschooling principals have shaped our family life and our educational endeavors as we learned the dance of life together on our homeschooling journey.  Now my oldest is studying to become an eurythmist and my middle child is finishing out her freshman year at a state university while my youngest continues to be homeschooled into the high school years. 

For several years, I was part of the website work of Waldorf Resources and also have spent many hours writing for a Waldorf yahoo list as well as other Waldorf newsletters both on-line and hard copy.  I am an aspiring fiber artist with much to still learn though I have dabbled in spinning, Navajo weaving, felted tapestry work as well as knitting and sewing.  My oldest has always been interested in the performing arts and was heavily involved in the children's theater scene during her teen years.  I was pulled into that scene as a seamstress and found a love of costume design/work buried within me.  I dabble in storytelling and most recently started to collect the stories of my extended family. 

Even though we just transitioned to a new configuration of homeschooling with just one child home while the other two pursue full-time endeavors outside the home, family continues to be my focus.  Over the years we have spent countless hours in conversation with our children, spent time sharing our interests with them and eagering sharing their interests as well.  My girls both love to travel and go to the theater especially musicals.  We travel as often as we can to places far and near where we find ourselves. When we lived in Phoenix we explored the great southwest to come to understand its hidden treasures and beauty.  My middle daughter loves math and gave herself quite an amazing education in higher level math during high school. My son is slowly but patiently teaching me the ways of the wonderful world of webcomics.  We enjoy music making and dancing and singing together.

I have to admit that when we first started homeschooling, I didn't want to be doing it.  I wanted to continue being an involved parent at the Waldorf school.  But over the years, the gifts that I have received from my children during our homeschooling journey have been as essential to my growth as a person as I feel the gift we gave them of homeschooling was to their growth.  Even though one daughter is away at school and the other is a full-time student outside the home, the five of us continue to laugh, cry and learn with each other.  In future writings I will share our homeschooling journey with you as I draw on both our past and present experiences.

Cyndie Kimball lives and learns with her busy 3 (21 yrs, 19 yrs, 14 yrs) in the heartland of MO. She is a budding fiber artist with more ideas in her head than ever come to fruition.