Treatment that Joe received in the hospital left him a calmer, more compliant child. He expressed sincere remorse over the behavior that had led to this point, and the violent behavior occured far less frequently. The winter crisis had left a sizeable gap in our schooling, but we tried to pick up where we left off, and we succeeded in completing most of our planned studies.
The downside, though, was increased professional scrutiny from the doctors and therapists that we could no longer avoid. As fourth grade began, I became much more defensive of our schooling practices, as if someone were constantly watching us in search of records and proof. Joe's new doctor, a developmental pediatrician, vehemently opposed homeschooling, and took me to task in front of the children at each dreaded appointment. He demanded detailed accounts of Joe's "socialization," and I had to enroll him in numerous outside activities to avoid trouble with this doctor. We continued the HSLDA membership, collected pro-homeschooling articles, learned to keep academic portfolios, and watched our whereabouts during school hours, for I could not forget that we had slipped past all the professionals who said he "had to be in public school."
Still, we continued homeschooling, and Joy Academy seemed to prosper. We studied United States history, read novels aloud, made a poetry folders and created a time capsule. As fifth grade started, I became somewhat braver in our support group. We hosted a political discussion in our home, dissected a heart with another family, and even researched our old house. Yes--on a good day, I could even admit we were having fun.
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