So, turns out homeschooling my 2 daughters is a great source of joy and wonderment.  AND, I am learning so much… ancient Pharaohs, components of blood, Hebrew words, converting the metric system, and how to figure elapsed time.  Who knew 4th and 5th grade content is so AMAZING? and useful.

While the big boys are away at high school every day, my home becomes a haven of learning… a den of activities and experiments and inquiries.  There are laughs over failed experiments and tears over Old Yeller.  There are frantic moments of brushing hair just so we can take a picture late in the day and not look like homeschool kids.  There are lunches of hot dogs or last night’s leftovers. There are recesses on the trampoline that might last 20 minutes or 2 hours, depending on the weather.  We’ve spilled paint on the hardwood.  We’ve struggled over origami projects. We’ve started videos that were too boring to finish.  We sketch and read outside.  And we take fields trips…. lots and lots of field trips. We’ve been to the zoo, to an art museum, to a pumpkin patch, and to Disney World. So yeah, our homeschool takes us far away, while keeping us close at home.

And our Principal oversees it all.  Like any good principal, he keeps his distance and doesn’t interfere because when something is working why mess it up?  But he pops in unexpectedly and takes us to lunch or to visit a cotton gin or the bank.  And every once is awhile, he helps with a project or teaches a lesson.  But mostly he is here in spirit.. the one we can’t wait to impress late in the day with our masterpieces, our written stories, and our powerpoint presentations that need to be seen one more time.

As autumn has turned to winter and is now looking forward to spring, our school year is solid.  The routine is familiar and comfortable but the schedule is just flexible enough to allow for spontaneity and surprises.  This homeschooling stint is definitely here to stay.