Over the Top

We had been doing homeschool for hours.  I was tired, and nearly sleeping at the table as Denver decorated his yogurt with chocolate chips in the shape of a Batman symbol.

Then he said thoughtfully, "You've succeeded in life.  You're a Judge.  A Triathlete.  A Mom."  He reached over and touched my hand.  "The hair color may be too much, though."

I broke out in hysterical laughter.

Big, Beautiful Homeschooling Sky

The ever changing sky on my way to pick up John Robert and Denver from swim practice on the last day of summer.  Like homeschooling, the beauty is always present, though the appearance changes.  Like the sky, homeschooling is so fully a part of our lives that sometimes we forget to take note of its extraordinary beauty.

Nearly six years ago, I began a blog about our family's homeschool adventure because I was more than a little nervous about it.  No matter how many successful homeschoolers I met or how many books I read, I wasn't 100% sure that homeschooling would work for my children or the rest of my family.  This blog began as an attempt to record our lives and learning and to soothe anxious nerves of parents and grandparents.

The boys devouring lasagna and garlic bread-- gone in seconds!

A Good Morning to Read on the Porch.

It has been six years since we first began homeschooling.  Our family is no longer nervous.  It is how we live-- comfortable and normal-- just like most people's relationship with school I suppose.  John Robert assures me that his 3 1/2 years of homeschooling is the reason he does not struggle or have difficulty with academic work now that he has chosen high school.  

He does warn his brothers about the loads of busy work and the incredible boredom which must be endured in his classes . . . Yet, he says he wants to have "the high school experience," so he soldiers on.

Denver completed his first triathlon!

I still worry about the younger boys, too; nurturing Spencer and Denver's learning opportunities as best I can.  Now that they are getting older (13 and nearly 10), they are not quite so open to my leadership.  They don't want to do every activity or unit of study I suggest.  They don't want their pictures taken with every new project.  They have their own ideas about what would be fun and what is worth learning.  They are taking a total of six classes with other teachers and homeschool students this fall.  Things are changing.  We work it out. . . under this big, beautiful sky.

Spencer exploring more Pre-Algebra this year-- His Idea!