"It was hard not to answer the phone," Kellie said.

She researched public school before Zoe's fourth-grade year but worried that sending them would shatter their bond. She said she felt sick anytime she considered committing to the idea.

Then, this past summer, she decided to devote more time to the business.

NEW ADVENTURE

Her children seem mostly excited about the idea of attending public school.

"I will meet a lot of friends," said Zoe, who is 10.

Liam, 8, worries he might fall victim to school bullies, though that fear seems outweighed by his excitement about recess.

"The playground is huge," he said.

Another thought had been nagging Kellie, too; she wondered if through home-schooling she'd neglected her children's educational needs, despite their success on end-of-year tests. That internal struggle sometimes found her lying in bed crying, with her head advocating public school and her heart demanding she keep her children home.

She shut her emotions off and contacted Plattsburgh City School District and over the summer toured Momot Elementary School.

She second guessed herself at times, and the decision became increasingly difficult as summer vacation came to an end.

"I knew what I had to do, but I couldn't think about it," Kellie said as fresh tears rolled over her cheeks. "It's very hard, but I know I did the right thing. They will be fine."

MIXED EMOTIONS

Still, she's concerned about negative, outside influences.

"I worry they'll come home talking about sex or being judgmental," Kellie said. "You hear about 12 going on 20; well, Zoe is 10 going on 10, and she thinks about things she should be thinking about."