Looking at yesterday, if you really look at it, there is a lot that isn't done :). I mean, think about it: just that short list for the education of 10 children? I didn't mention that we haven't signed up my daughter for online classes at BYU-I yet, didn't mention all that we didn't do. Sometimes we focus too much on what other people are doing that we are not, and do not take into account all that they are not doing that we are. Don't read too much between the lines. I really didn't do anything else. I didn't sneak in a history class. I didn't read with my little ones...at all, something I love to do!
But you know? I am content. Learning happened, kids were loved and we are moving forward. Sometimes homeschooling looks more like "real school" and sometimes it is the school of life and time to reflect. People ask, "are you starting back up your homeschooling soon?" My answer is always: "We are always homeschooling. We do classes whenever we can and I always try to make time for learning opportunities because you never know when life will just happen." We have not had a real series of classes since April. Okay, since March, actually. And I am okay with that.
What we have done in the past several months is devour several books as a family during family reading, learned how to tear down a house and pick it up, how to adjust to small and often inconvenient living areas, learned from the many wonderful people we have lived and associated with, learned how to live with less and, yes, to even live on a dirt floor for the entire summer. We have studied the bugs with fascination and revulsion that we have encountered living outdoors in our backyard most of the summer: lightning bugs, evening walks of deer across our stream, and cicadas (one of which Hyrum tried to freeze, stab a needle and thread through, and then keep as a pet after thawing it over the hot spotlight we use in remodeling--for some reason, it didn't survive :)...). We have seen meteor showers and explored the stream and woods, finding crawdads and sketching and learning about them. We have heard and identified a few birds and plants and wondered and observed many more.
We have talked about basics of good health, personal responsibility of learning, and human interaction. We have had devotionals consistently, family prayer and scripture study and a weekly family gathering called family home evening--showing our children the importance of those vital activities no matter where we are.
We have learned to smile when life is hard.
We have learned to make do with less.
We have read some amazing books as individuals, had some great random classes and done swimming lessons for 6 weeks for free this summer.
The younger kids have devoured the simple math and skills books I have purchased for them with Kel and Tova devouring Saxon Math trying to get more where they think they should be and Drew deciding to start Algebra...all on their own. Maybe they are "behind" according to some standardized test, but they are now owning it and moving forward with determination. I am not worried at all about where they will go with this.
My kids have tried and failed and tried some more at many exercise programs, visited new places, and met new people. They have said goodbye to dear friends...a learning experience in itself.
And I am content.
But you know? I am content. Learning happened, kids were loved and we are moving forward. Sometimes homeschooling looks more like "real school" and sometimes it is the school of life and time to reflect. People ask, "are you starting back up your homeschooling soon?" My answer is always: "We are always homeschooling. We do classes whenever we can and I always try to make time for learning opportunities because you never know when life will just happen." We have not had a real series of classes since April. Okay, since March, actually. And I am okay with that.
What we have done in the past several months is devour several books as a family during family reading, learned how to tear down a house and pick it up, how to adjust to small and often inconvenient living areas, learned from the many wonderful people we have lived and associated with, learned how to live with less and, yes, to even live on a dirt floor for the entire summer. We have studied the bugs with fascination and revulsion that we have encountered living outdoors in our backyard most of the summer: lightning bugs, evening walks of deer across our stream, and cicadas (one of which Hyrum tried to freeze, stab a needle and thread through, and then keep as a pet after thawing it over the hot spotlight we use in remodeling--for some reason, it didn't survive :)...). We have seen meteor showers and explored the stream and woods, finding crawdads and sketching and learning about them. We have heard and identified a few birds and plants and wondered and observed many more.
We have talked about basics of good health, personal responsibility of learning, and human interaction. We have had devotionals consistently, family prayer and scripture study and a weekly family gathering called family home evening--showing our children the importance of those vital activities no matter where we are.
We have learned to smile when life is hard.
We have learned to make do with less.
We have read some amazing books as individuals, had some great random classes and done swimming lessons for 6 weeks for free this summer.
The younger kids have devoured the simple math and skills books I have purchased for them with Kel and Tova devouring Saxon Math trying to get more where they think they should be and Drew deciding to start Algebra...all on their own. Maybe they are "behind" according to some standardized test, but they are now owning it and moving forward with determination. I am not worried at all about where they will go with this.
My kids have tried and failed and tried some more at many exercise programs, visited new places, and met new people. They have said goodbye to dear friends...a learning experience in itself.
And I am content.
No comments:
Post a Comment