Homeschooling Rhythm

Right around this time a year ago, we had just decided that we were going to take the plunge and home educate our children.  I went to my first-ever homeschool convention, started researching curriculum, and began brainstorming ways to make our space and home work for a homeschooling life.  I began the year with much anticipation and excitement and lots of questions about how I was doing and if I was doing enough.  

Well, we just ended our schooling year last week, and I can confidently say that it was a success.  My boys learned and grew so much, and most importantly, they had a time and space to love learning.  I recently asked a dear friend of mine to mentor me in this homeschooling journey, desiring to do my part to be the best homeschooling mama that I can be for my kiddos.  Her wise advice to me:  You are not filling a bucket...You are lighting a flame.  My job is to light a flame for the love of learning.  Well, the last official day of our homeschooling year, after he finished the last chapter of his science book, I sent Micah off for free time.  He picked up a book about the presidents of the United States and sat down to read.  Seriously.  So I think we have succeeded at the love-of-learning thing.  

Did every day go smoothly and peacefully?  Did I always follow a plan and keep a good schedule?  NO and NO.  There were days when the schedule did flow well, when the girls took good naps and the toys were picked up and the boys and I sat together and worked through lots of material.  There were days when they created and read and cut and patterned and when dinner was neatly on the table when Zach came home from work.  But there were also days when Zach would come home from work with markers and scissors and scraps of paper strewn across the floor, math books and language arts books and who-knows-what-else piled on the couch, toys and diapers and shoes and children in all corners of the house.  There were days when we would be out with friends or at a museum or some other adventure and come home and not even open our books!  There were days when I would text Zach at 4:00 saying WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME??!!!!!  It was not perfect, by any means.  But it was glorious.  On the days I questioned myself, on the days when I wondered, "Are we doing enough?  Am I teaching enough?  Is this going as well as it should be?" my friends would reassure me through the phone that all is well and that homeschooling is unpredictable and what we were doing was working for US.

The thing that I had to learn to embrace this whole year was our own homeschooling rhythm.  Because we did find our rhythm.  And it DID work for us.  Some days felt accomplished, some days didn't.  Some days went smoothly, some days brought enough chaos to end in tears.  But it worked for us.  We had the best time learning and creating and growing together, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  

So now at the end of this first year, as I just returned from my second homeschool convention and as we just invited grandparents over for an "Open House" for the boys to be able to show their work from the year, I am thrilled to say that I can't wait for next year.  I can't wait to keep schooling.  I have stacks of curriculum and books and resources waiting for the fall and we can't wait to dive in.  

I am thankful, so very thankful, that God has called us to this homeschooling life.  It is not always easy, and it is not always pretty, but it is good.  So very good.

Happy Summer!

Pictures from our Open House, an event that I plan to make a yearly tradition...

p.s. Thanks to all of our parents for supporting us in our non-traditional decision for schooling!  We are blessed!