Homeschool

Yesterday, before Savannah’s riding lesson, we stopped for an impromptu hike in the woods. It was absolutely refreshing. We didn’t have much time, but it was enough to recharge us all, especially me. I used to complain A LOT about the lack of nature where we live in south Florida. My biggest complaint were the lack of trees. It can be depressing seeing land developed all the time. But these little patches of untouched nature are there, you just have to seek them out. 

This last year, we kind of got into a rut. Things got harder with a growing toddler and it was just easier to stay close, unless my husband was with us. I started to lock myself into being stuck at home, because Wyatt needed to nap. Mind you, I never did this with any of my other kids. They adapted to our lifestyle and napped wherever they could. But, we hit a rough patch with Wyatt sleeping through the night. By rough patch, I mean he doesn’t sleep through the night, STILL. He never has. Oh my gosh, will he ever? He’ll be 2 in June and he wakes anywhere from 2-4 times night. Because of this, mornings would drag on slowly. I am the type of person that does not like to slept in. I can’t stand to see daylight wasted. I also like to have early, quiet mornings all to myself. But with all his sleep issues, I just couldn’t make it out of bed at my normal time. Mornings would drag on slowly and we weren’t really starting our day until about noon. That just didn’t sit well with me and really affected my mood. It was clear he was not going to sleep through the night just yet, so I just had to adapt. And I did. For now, my body has learned to survive on about 6 hours of interrupted sleep. 

With the new year approaching, I feel the need for some changes. These past few months, I’ve been working to clear our home and life of clutter. This is easier said than done, because my husband is not a fan of my purging lifestyle. Neither are my kids. But, I’m a happier person when I’m organized and can see the big picture. And trust me, for a person who is living on very little sleep, you want to keep her as happy as possible. Also, I’m implementing big changes into our homeschool. That’s another part of our life I wasn’t happy with, but I’ll save that for another post!

A few weeks ago, we traveled to Sarasota to visit the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. I’ve been wanting to go for years, but just never made it happen. Which is crazy, because it’s barely a drive away! I had read they were opening a River otter exhibition and that finally motivated me to make the trip. Savannah LOVES River otters! I really never could understand her fascination and affection towards them, until I saw them interacting with another. They were very cute and playful! Also, it was next to impossible to get a picture of them, because they were always on the go.

Besides the Rivs, as Savannah calls them, the manatees Buffet and Hugh, were the biggest hit. When we visited them, they were cruising through their tanks eating lettuce. There was someone outside their tank counting how many leaves they ate. I could not imagine sitting there for hours counting lettuce!

There were also sharks, sea turtles, seahorses, jellyfish, an octopus, lion fish, an eel, stingray touch tanks, and several other aquariums full of interesting sea life. The jellyfish were my favorite. They always appear to be doing a mesmerizing water ballet.

I think what I love most about Mote Marine, is the research that goes on behind the scenes. It’s not just a place to go and see marine life on display. In their research, they are helping to conserve and sustain marine life. Also, at the same time educating the public. We plan to go back soon. I’m sure we could learn something new every visit. If you are in the Sarasota area, make sure to stop by Mote and see all the wonderful things they are doing for marine life!

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that school does not have to be held within the four walls of our home. So, last week we headed out early to Captiva Island and we spent the morning digging for sand fleas, periwinkles, and shelling in the warm sunshine. The water is a little cold for my taste, but that and no bathing suits didn’t stop these three from dashing into the water at full speed.

Living near the beach is nice, but hauling all the gear and packing it back up is not. During the summer months, we bring beach chairs, an umbrella, dry food bag, a cooler, towels, floats, and way too many toys that need to be washed down before packing them away. Too many toys that don’t get much play time, but get plenty dirty and plenty scattered all over the beach. This year, I decided we will be paring down on all the toys. In my search for less, I stumbled onto these beach buckets. I ordered three a few days before our beach trip. They were a big hit with the kids and passersby! Everyone wanted to know where they could get one for their kids or grandkids. Usually, we have to dig a trench and fill with water to keep their little critters alive. These buckets made it so easy. You just fill with water, a little sand, toss in your live shells and small fish. The top is perforated for easy refilling of water and the handle has a nice big grip, for ease of carrying when filled to capacity.

We were there for a few hours and they never stopped filling up the buckets. When it was time to leave, they easily released all the live shells. For the shells they could keep, they just popped the lid back on, filled with water, and strained out all the sand. These are the best little beach buckets! If you are planning a trip to the beach anytime soon, I can’t recommend these enough!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I homeschool my children. I don’t really get the opportunity to talk about it much in my real life. Unless of course, I’m talking to other homeschooling moms or I’m asked specifically about homeschooling. I feel as though, I should write about it more. It’s something I feel very passionate about and would love to be a source of encouragement for those struggling with doubts of pursuing homeschooling as an option. Though I’ve shared some of our homeschooling life, I don’t think I’ve ever written about my journey towards it. This post is a little longer than my usual, so if you want to bail, no hard feelings!

When Jacks was 3, almost 4 years old I registered him for Pre School or as it’s known in Florida, VPK (Voluntary Pre Kindergarten.) I really didn’t think much about it. I knew he would be going to Kindergarten the following year, so this was a step in the right direction. Other than close family, he had never been left with anyone else. We spent the weeks leading up to the big, “First Day” talking to him about what would happen. We wanted to prepare him just a little, for what lied ahead. I could tell even in our talks with him, that he wasn’t ready. He would never make eye contact with me, when I talked to him about his upcoming big day. Instead, he would just say, “okay.” But we persevered, because that’s what we were supposed to do. He needed to be around other kids and develop social skills. Right? I even ordered him a big boy backpack and a matching lunchbox. We were all set!

The big day came and there were pictures. I took so many pictures to mark this special milestone.  Still, almost 4 years later, I cannot look at those pictures. His eyes say the same thing in every one of them, “please don’t leave me there. I need you. I’m scared.” But I did leave him. On the drive there, we continued to talk about how great it was going to be and how there was this awesome playground. He was going to meet so many new friends! We got there and I talked with some of the other parents. I think, I knew what was waiting for us the moment we dropped him off. Everyone said, “He’ll be fine. It’s better if you just leave. I know it’s hard.” And, I willed myself to believe them. We walked him in, found his cubby with his name, we helped him wash his hands, then we walked him to his teacher. I could feel his anxiety. It just leapt from his sweet, little beating heart. I told his teacher, I thought maybe he was going to have a tough time when we walked away. She promised to stay with him as long as he needed. She said the same as the others before her, “It’s best if you just walk away.” She told us we could watch from the window, but that it would be easier for him, if we just left the classroom.

With tears welling up in my eyes, my voice cracking, and with about as much excitement as I could muster up, I knelt down and told Jacks something similar to this, “Mommy loves you all numbers! You are a big boy now and you are going to have so much fun! We will be back to get you right after you eat lunch!” Then, in one of my most regrettable moments as a parent, I turned and walked away while my little boy cried out for me. I did watch him from the window as suggested, because I needed to feel better about doing what I just did. His teacher held him close, while he cried.  I cried even harder at the sight of a stranger comforting my son. That should be me, but I didn’t make a move. We needed to do this, because going to school is just the natural course of things. After about 10 minutes of watching, we left him. I left him. If I could do it all over again, I would have stayed. I would have stayed right next to him, until he said, “Okay Mommy. I’m okay now.” I cannot talk or write about that moment without feeling the deepest, most painful ache in my heart.  I listened to everybody that day, except for my son and my own better judgement.

As it turns out Jacks did adjust. By the end of the week, he conceded. I broke his will and he adjusted to life away from Mommy for 4 hours a day. There were no more tears and he was happy to go to school. Never excited, more like complacent. Something in him definitely changed after that week. Nothing major, but definitely a shift in his attitude. We never really had a problem with him, until after he started school. I chalked it up to growing up and pushed on with our new “normal.”

The following year came around and it was time for Kindergarten. That year, there were no tears, except my own. I did the obligatory, “push my child out of the car, because how dare you take more than 1 millisecond to say, I love you, have a nice day baby!…you are ruining our groove” parent drop off line. At some point, it just became routine and we were operating like a well oiled machine. “Bye, love you, hurry!” was what I would often say as he raced to get out of the car. Pick ups were not much better. I dropped off a somewhat happy child in the morning, only to be met with the grumpiest, most selfish, uncaring, unsympathetic child when picking him up in the afternoon. Halfway through the school year, homeschooling popped up on my radar. Up until that point, I hadn’t ever seriously considered it. I just wasn’t the homeschooling type. At least I didn’t think I was. It stayed on my heart for a long time, but I just kept ignoring it, knowing that it was something I couldn’t do.

It wasn’t until I had to start making decisions about Savannah’s schooling for the following year, that it really began to weigh heavy on my heart. My Savannah. She has an incredible heart and a most infectious spirit. She is also that child that drives you all kinds of crazy. She is emotional, but she is headstrong. She has cried, every single day of her life since exiting my womb. She has a hard time focusing. She doesn’t listen well. She hears you, but she has better plans. I knew if I sent her out there to school, she would be returned to me, defeated.  She would not survive sitting in a classroom all day long. As much as I did not relish the thought of homeschooling my kids, I knew I had to do it.

I feel incredibly blessed that I am able and willing to stay home with my kids. Yes, they bring out some awful parts of me some days. I am human. I am not a Super Mom, nor would I want to be. I am not a patient person. Really, I’m not. Sometimes, when I’m teaching math to Jacks and he’s just not getting it, I want to face plant myself full speed into a brick wall. Then I remember, he doesn’t have to get it. We aren’t on any required timeline. There are no grades. This isn’t a race to higher achievements. We do things at our own pace. If he needs more time with something, then so be it. There is no labeling in our school. Homeschooling is not always easy, but it is always rewarding. We get to choose when and where we want to do school. There are no confines. Today, we did a nature study. They climbed trees, collected sticks, watched and identified  birds. They were free, just to be kids, but they were learning too. I get to spend their entire “school day” with them.  While I agree that’s not always fun, it is time I will always cherish and never, not for one second, regret spending with them. If you are ever considering homeschooling as an option, but don’t think you can do it, think of me. I thought the same thing and I am doing it!

After an extra long summer break, we headed back to school this week. Actually, our kitchen table. This marks my second year homeschooling. I love it even more now, than when I first embarked on this journey.  I was so glad to get the first week under my belt. There is always a few hiccups, but by the end of the week all is good. I always have to remind myself that there’s no one looking over my shoulders. This is my school and I’m free to teach it as I choose. We are once again following Ambleside Online, a curriculum based off the teachings and philosophy of British educator, Charlotte Mason.

A typical week for us looks like this:

Math
Copywork
French
Poetry
Artist Study
Composer Study
Nature Study
Folksong Study
Hymn Study
Bible
Recitation
Literature
History
Natural History
Timeline
Phonics/Reading
Geography
Handicrafts
Tea Time
Drawing

It seems like a lot, but our school day only lasts about 2.5 – 3 hours. Some subjects are only done once a week. We usually take Fridays off for field trips or whatever. Most of their day is spent in our backyard catching lizards, butterflies, and pretty much anything that moves. There’s also tennis lessons, horseback riding, and baseball is starting up soon. Music lessons are on the horizon, but I haven’t finalized anything yet. I think I’m scared of the noise. Also, I ventured out into new territory and enrolled Jacks and Savannah in a local 4-H chapter. Looks like they will be raising a rabbit to show in the county fair.

I’m looking forward to all the new adventures that await. Here’s to another great school year!

It was back to school in our area yesterday. Honestly, I get a little bit sad on the first day of school. I did last year, also. Not because, I’m sending my kids off, but because I’m keeping them home. If you know me or have read my blog for a while, then you know I homeschool my 3 babes. I agonized for a good year before I finally took the plunge. It’s not something I ever saw myself doing. I especially didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. And I do. Still, there are moments when I feel the tiniest twinge of “missing out.”

When I first started researching homeschooling, one of the biggest things holding me back, was the fear of my kids missing out. I kept thinking how they would miss out on school plays, musicals, art shows, parties, sports, dances, clubs, and all sorts of other things. I know it seems trivial, but it really made me stop and question if I should move forward with homeschooling. I went back and forth for about a year. I finally realized that it wasn’t that I was sad about them missing out, because they haven’t. Their lives are very full. I was sad, because I would be missing out seeing them do all of these things.

So yesterday, when my Facebook feed lit up with pictures of first day of school excitement, I got a little teary eyed. I didn’t excitedly send Jacks off for his first day of 2nd grade or Savannah for her first day of Kindergarten. But, I did get to sleep in until 9:30.  I got to spend the day watching them, watch Roseate Spoonbills and Reddish Egrets fly across the waters on Sanibel Island. I watched them release a Katydid in our backyard, then hurriedly scamper off to sketch in their nature journals. Of course, there was fighting and whining today. My patience was plenty tested and often pushed to the brim. But, there was also these precious moments. Turns out, I didn’t miss out on anything.

Jacks asked if we could go to the library today. I’ll admit, I don’t take them to the library enough. So, I opted out of breakfast table homeschooling and we headed to the library instead. One of the biggest draws of homeschooling for me, is the flexibility. Today we learned about dinosaurs, sea creatures, ladybugs, deer, Africa, and rotting pumpkins.

Even though we had a talk about library behavior before entering, that went out the door 10 seconds in. The offender, none other than Annabelle. Kill me. The plan was to get three books each and sit quietly, while reading. Well, if you know Annie, then you know plans don’t apply to her. She warmed me up with her usual game of chase me. Then, she found the librarian’s step stool and began catapulting herself across the rows of books. At this point, I was pretty much seething. She was pulling book after book, until she finally found one that kept her attention…Rotten Pumpkin. At first glance, I thought it was a horror book or something. I initially told her no…which went over like a rotten pumpkin. I flipped through the pages and realized it was a a book about decomposition…basically the slow death of Jack the pumpkin. It’s told from the perspective of Jack, all the critters that help break him down, and the different molds that grow on him.  How does she find these things? I don’t know, but she is so captivated by it, we brought it home. I see a rotten pumpkin experiment in the future.