I shared this photo and caption on Instagram, but wanted to chronicle our last day of school here too … and add a little about the big kids as they wrap up kindergarten and second grade!
How’s this for a class photo 😂 Our family’s third year homeschooling is complete and we are knee deep planning our summer fun! Can. Not. Wait!
This is the first year we didn’t move and the first year I juggled two school age kids. So, it was easier and harder than past years 😂 I let us quit a curriculum mid year and we definitely fulfilled our school year goal of making more art. And, you guys, I taught a kid to read which is definitely one of the most magical experiences in life ✨ The little boys survived all the hustle and bustle of home days, co-op days, field trips, and more. We learned and grew and I honestly just love our days together. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard too. And there are tears. But it’s the good kind of hard where we know that pressing on and leaning in is worth the effort.
I’ve ended the year excited for the next which makes me so confident in our choice to homeschool. Which, rabbit trail, I’m not really digging that label because it’s not my plan to create school at home (i.e. homeschool); rather, I’m aiming more for a full experience of home-based learning. We are home learners 📚 Our story starts at home and ends at home and everything in between is a step in these amazing kids discovering who they are and who they want to become.
Cheers to many more years of home learning … this year, next year, and hopefully many years to come. If someone sees my husband soon, feel free to remind him that end of the school year gifts are welcome 😂
Jemma took second grade by storm! She got a handle on multiplication, read copious amounts of fun and literature study books, has beautiful cursive handwriting, and she can write an amazingly detailed paragraph. That makes sense since she has intentions to be an author someday. She’s actually got a darling mini series underway called “Minnie the Manatee”!
Jemma is an absolute joy to teach. Diligence is her middle name! I’m so proud of how she tackles her work and then jumps in to help at home. She’s my homeschool guinea pig, but I honestly can’t take any credit for her success, she’s just a hard worker who truly enjoys learning. And I love learning alongside her! Even though it’s technically our summer now, we’re in finishing up a class on Wildcrafting together; I think this is something we’ll continue to learn about and practice regardless of the school year.
Oh Max! Kindergarten was such a big, fruitful year for this guy. He learned to read, learned how to persevere through hard tasks, and, he gained a sort of routine to his day that I know will serve him well for years to come. His handwriting improved immensely and a year ago he had really rough scissor skills, now he’s a pro! I’m so very proud of all he accomplished. It’s hard being #2; especially when you’re following after a sister like Jemma, but he is excelling and owning his role as a learner. Watch out 1st grade!
On that note, Max is an older kinder, he turns seven this August, before first grade starts, and being a full six this last year was such a benefit to him. I can’t think of many scenarios where I’d push into kindergarten sooner. Especially when you consider the backend … I want as many years as I can with my kids so starting kindergarten at six means we’ll get to do his senior year at 18. YES!
Max often says that he plans to be a chiropractor by day and a ninja by night. Let’s hope so! Mama would LOVE free adjustments for life by the one and only Ninja Max :) Can’t you just see him as a chiropractor?
The little boys deserve an update too, but we’ll save that for another day. They are very much a part of our homeschool days – sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes that’s what makes this current line up extra hard. But we wouldn’t trade them for anything! They add a lot of laugh and real life learning to our days. After all, being part of a family, especially a family that spends as much time together as we do, teaches us some very valuable lessons.