As you’ve probably correctly assumed, we have begun another school year, starting the last week of August. I meant to tell you about this then, mostly so you could send me flowers of condolences or supportive boxes of chocolate-y goodness. But now that we’re about to begin our eighth week of school Monday, you can send me supportive boxes of chocolate-y goodness or flowers of condolences. In honor of this school year, here are a few stats* for you to glaze over:
14 years
126 months
567 weeks
2,835 days
11,340 hours
6 kids
1 teacher
Between mathematics, sciences, writing lessons, English, history, computer programming, finance, music, languages, phys ed, and many other minor electives, these are the numbers that represent our homeschool journey through time. *These numbers may or may not reflect field trips, time devoted to town sports, co-op days, or crying sessions because we “just don’t get it”. One might look at those figures and consider me an expert. One would be wrong.
Actually, that’s not altogether true. I’ve become quite adept at showing up to school in clothing that looks suspiciously like pajamas. I can make judgment calls on whether or not to try out the next science experiment at a moment’s notice. (Not.) I’m excellent at forgetting I’d started a load of laundry in the morning and often have to re-run the cycle. I’m particularly known amongst local friends as having the ability to not know what I’ll be making with the meat that’s been thawing all day for supper half an hour before it’s time to eat. One of the areas in which I am most expert is taxiing the children everywhere.
My skill set is clearly remarkable because all of my children know how to procrastinate, enjoy “second breakfast”, talk over one another, eat all the snacks, complain about what’s for supper (once I know what we’re having!), and beg to participate in even more organized activities. However, any of their actual talents and genius cannot be attributed in any way to my ‘expertise’ but to the One who loves them and cares for them and blessed them with their unique gifts.
It truly is a joy to get a front row seat in my children’s lives. There’s not much that tops spending time with them, teaching, learning together, experiencing every ‘light bulb’ moment, answering every question–and boy have there been a lot of questions!– and watching the growth of fresh, inquisitive, and eager minds. I especially love observing the development of their passions and aptitudes, whether that’s in sports like volleyball or flag football, or in music on the piano, guitar, viola, ukulele or violin (fair warning: it’s noisy here!), or in artistry through sketching or painting, or even in creative papers that are written either for school assignments or fun.
How fortunate I feel this way since I still have ten more years of this homeschooling stuff, Lord willing! Where are my flowers and chocolates?!