Blogging Again.

I’m going to start with a simple update. I’ll work up to the caustic, insightful, intriguing and witty commentary that I like to believe I had when I diligently posted to my homeschooling blog.

Did you know I was once mentioned on the Instapundit? /pathetic attempt at increasing hit count.

I am Joanne Ketch (used to be Davidson and now married to a Montgomery). I have built and maintained a presence online for about 8 years now. I’m known for my “discipline advice”, for My Bean Dip response and to a lesser degree as The Happy Homeschooler.

I began blogging with 3 small children, only one of whom was old enough to homeschool. He’s now in 7th grade. My daughter is in 5th and my youngest in 3rd.

In spite of being attachment parented, alternatively medicined, not spanked, nursed forever and homeschooled they do eat solids, are weaned, can talk to other kids and are well behaved.

I own the PositiveParenting-Discipline list at Yahoo Groups. I started it because I used to own the PositiveChristianAP list (my friend Crystal now owns it) and I had moms asking if they could “pretend to be a Christian” so they could benefit from the discipline advice. I created the Positive Discipline Resource Center which served for several years assisting families seeking ideas on how to parent in a firm but non punitive manner. Thanks to my dear friend Rebecca at , I have a new, more professional site.

It’s good and intentional timing, too. Because *drum roll*, I am finally writing the book that I’ve known was my destiny. My destiny! How dramatic!

I’m now offering seminars, classes and other ways for people to pay for my time and help. See my discipline site for more info.

For a more personal update, I was married for nearly 13 years. The actual marriage was over long before “that” and the formal end came last August. It takes 61 days minimum to divorce in Texas. I got mine on day 63 and that’s only because my attorney was not available on day 61. I dated. I met a man about a year ago and we dated very casually for several months before we, let’s say, heated up. Mr. Montgomery and I wed on June 16. He is my full and equal partner. He’s recently taken on another role here, known as Coach for my oldest’s Little League team.

Although I had to declare bankruptcy after the divorce, I consider myself rich, blessed and abundantly provided for in the ways that matter most.

I plan on returning to school in the spring to acquire my Masters of Social Work. I indend to use it to assist families in building life skills to make their home a happy, ordered, connected one.

We school eclectically. I used a mix of resources that I gratefully accepted when I was a single mom. I homeschool 2 additional children which served as my only income after the divorce. As they are not mine, I will not comment on them here. My “students” range in age from 8 to 12.5.

I am the Happiest Homeschooler to be back, happily married and moving towards building a career in assisting families while still mothering my own.