The End of a Year

Another school year has come to an end, and I really feel the need to document this one.
Every year is special in its own way, but this year has been a turning point in many ways.

For starters, I wasn't ever sure we'd get this far.
It's true.
When we started our homeschool journey, I thought, maybe we'll homeschool through Elementary.
Maybe even Middle school.

But I hadn't ever thought as far as high school.
And that, my friends, is where we are with this one here:

 

 

Miss Sierra will be a Freshman next year. {Insert bug-eyed emoji}.
Let me just have a minute to compose myself, because, TRULY, I do not know where the time has gone.

Okay. I'm back.

So, here we are.  Turning point.
And I am delighted to say that we are going to continue on this crazy path.
Because we love it so so much.

Any time I've let doubt creep in, I am quickly reminded why we do this thing:

Because we love being with one another.
Because we get to choose our own curriculum.
Because the thought of my children spending more of their waking hours away from home than at home, when we really have so few years with them anyway, makes me want to cry.
Because I believe they are receiving a better education.
Because they have so much more TIME to really explore hobbies they are passionate about.
And that is just the tippy top of the iceberg.


These girls ~ I am so proud of them.



Last week we went in for testing, and they were AMAZING!
They exceeded my hopes a million times over ~
 the way they handled themselves,
by testing much higher than their grade levels in each category,
and by working so hard this year.

Yay, Girls!  We've done it!

We've had:
 

 

 

 

 

 

a year of studies;
 

 

 

 

a year of crafts;
 

 

a year of experiments;
 

 

a year of taking advantage of the sunshine when you see it!
 

 

A year of picnics by the creek;
 

 

a year of new beginnings;
 

 

a year of learning, and sharing;
 

 

a year of  LIVING
 

 

 

 Thank you, Lord, for this blessed gift!

Now, let Summer begin!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to School Time!

 We are officially back to school!

 

 

 {And Miss Tay refused to have her photo taken, so I had to make do with an oldie}


Are y'all settled into your school routine?

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Back to School Days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tick Tock

Holy. Moly.

 

Truly, I need a pause button. 

 

Or at least slow-motion.

 

We're creeping up on October!

 

This is absolutely my favorite time of year.

 

Scarves, boots, apple everything . . . and counting down to my favorite holiday!

 

But it's all going so fast.

 

We *did* start school, a couple of weeks ago.

 

I didn't document it, of course, because we also had just gotten home from the beach, started dance lessons, and had 132 million photograph sessions ;)

 

But I thought I should at least get a few photos up here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And things are going well.

We got a little overly . . . optimistic the first week, and we've since toned it down a bit.

I sometimes forget that it's a big adjustment, adding another homeschooler to the mix.

But Kam is doing great! 

She's eager to learn, and brings such joy to our table :)

So that's what's going on here.

School, Dance, Photography, Life.

Whew! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test Day

 Test Day came and went, rather uneventfully.
The girls were a little anxious, but settled right in as soon as we arrived.
 

 

* The last time we tested, we tested with friends.
Those friends are moving away tomorrow :(

After a couple of hours, they had finished; and they got to pick a prize.
Of course they both picked candy.
They are their Mama's daughters, after all.
 

 

 

Then it was off to run a couple errands, pick up lunch, and a treat.

 

 

 

 They deserved it.

And while I am going to try not to brag too hard . . .
They both did AMAZINGLY well.
This Mama is so very proud.

Another wonderful end to another wonderful year!

 

 

Field Trip

I love field trips.

This school year was a little different, so we only managed one official field trip.
We'll have to make it more of a priority next year.

Last week we finished our year with a trip to . . . .

The Wastewater Treatment Center.

Glamorous, right?

But actually it was very interesting.

If you could get past the smells.

The girls were so cute holding, holding hands the whole time.

Miss Kam even got some hand holding in ;) 

And after our tour we headed to the park for lunch and a visit. 
Not surprisingly, that was the best part of our day.
Dear friends are so precious.  Amen?

Test Day!

Wow, things have been crazy busy here! What with holidays, visiting family, finishing up the end of our home school year, testing, and everyday odds and ends, I think we're in need of a vacation.

The other day I mentioned that Sierra was due for her required testing. Home school students in Oregon are required to be tested after grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. This was Sierra's first ever BIG test, and we were a little nervous. I had no worries about her meeting grade level requirements, but I did worry about her lack of experience with testing. We've done our own math tests and quizzes, but a good portion of the time Sierra is free to ask questions or obtain help. Besides, this test was at an unfamiliar testing center with an instructor whom she'd never met. All adding up to a situation that was nerve-wracking, to say the least.

Sierra and her best friend before testing began.

A small snack break between the Language Arts and Math portions.


And then . . . .

One of the best parts of the day! A celebratory lunch out with friends.

And this sweet "forever friends" necklace from a very dear friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We were surprised and happy {and a little nervous!} to find out that results would be available by the time we were finished with lunch. So we swung back by the testing center and awaited the scores, as well as a short meeting with the instructor.

Sierra did so well. She was above grade level in all areas, and even tested at an end-of-5th-grade level for the math portion. Needless to say, we are all so very proud of her. And also breathing a small sigh of relief that it is over!

Our sweet girl is growing into such a beautiful, talented, and smart young lady.

A Day in the Life

I've been meaning to write this post for awhile now, but it always seemed I didn't have the time to type it all out. I think I was making it bigger than what it needed to be. Anybody else do this?

Anyway.

You asked. So here we go. A glimpse into our homeschool day.

Let me start by mentioning that we're not a super scheduled family. It has really only been the last year or two that we have had much of a schedule at all. We're just not the put-the-kids-to-bed-at-7 type. We now recognize the importance {for our family} of having a schedule so that we all know what to expect next. But we haven't always been this way. I only mention it because many of my IRL friends have said things like 'I could never homeschool. We're just not organized enough' or 'I can't see myself sticking to a schedule'. Schedules are wonderful, but I don't think you have to be Miss Organization in order to homeschool. Just sayin'.

Moving on ;)

We're not early risers around here. Sierra, Kameryn, and I are out of bed between 7:00 and 7:30. Sometimes earlier, rarely later. Makenna is my late-late sleeper. She typically needs a full 12 hours of sleep. If she goes to bed at 8:30 we can expect that she won't be out of bed until 8:30 or 9:00 the next morning. Every so often she sleeps until 10:00 . . . or later! I figure if she's sleeping, she needs it. I hate waking sleeping children. Hate it. If I can help it, I don't do it. One of many reasons I love homeschooling. Our public elementary school starts at 7:25am. Waaay too early, in my opinion ;)

Okay, getting off track. My morning is spent getting myself ready, a quick check of email, and tending to Kam while getting breakfast for the girls. Sierra starts school at 8:30 and Makenna at 9:00. When I was trying to plan for our first year with two homeschooling, I was wondering how I could be of most help to both of my girls. The solution was to start them at different times. It works great for us for many reasons.

#1 Makenna likes to sleep later. Often times she's not really ready to start her day by the time Sierra is.

#2 Makenna is in Kindergarten. She doesn't need to be homeschooling near as long as Sierra does. When Sierra was in Kindergarten we only spent about an hour and a half on book work each day.

#3 It allows me the opportunity to get Sierra started and settled in before I have to give Kenners full attention.

~~ ♥ ~~ ♥ ~~ ♥ ~~

As of right now we don't have a set time schedule as to how long we spend on each subject. We start each day with Math. I would say that on an average day Sierra studies Math from 8:30 to 9:30 or 10:00. And Makenna from about 9:00 until 9:30 or so. During this time Makenna and I also discuss days of the week, months of the year, seasons, etc.

After Math Sierra jumps into Phonics and Reading or Language Arts, depending on which day of the week it is {Mondays and Wednesdays ~ Phonics/Reading, Tuesdays and Thursdays ~ Language Arts}. Followed by either Handwriting or Spelling {again depending on which day of the week}. Once I have Sierra settled and have explained her task, Makenna and I start in on Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. And afterward Makenna works in her Language Arts workbook.

*Usually we have some sort of a break, either after Phonics/L.A. or Handwriting/Spelling.* It typically lasts 15-20 minutes. Sometimes they go off and play, sometimes they are ready for a snack. It is simply a little breather from the extended period of concentration.

*For a more detailed list of textbooks and workbooks, etc. that we use click here. An abbreviated version: We use Spectrum Workbooks for Phonics and Language Arts, A Reason for Handwriting, and I create a new spelling list each week. The spelling lists usually consist of 12 or so words. Some of the words are vocabulary for our history studies, some words are pertinent to other studies. Sierra is given the list. Her first task is to write each of the words twice {this is a great practice for handwriting as well}. On another day she may use each word in a sentence, and finally after we have studied them for a week or two, she is tested on them.

Once we've had a break, Makenna is pretty much done with her "formal schooling", lol. She is free to do puzzles, color, or play. We include her later on in bits and pieces of other subjects, but for now an hour and a half is about all she can handle well. At this point {around 11am} Sierra and I work on either Geography/Map Skills {Spectrum} or History {American Pioneers & Patriots}. We also spend some time on History Pockets each day. We love History Pockets. Makenna joins us for History Pockets. She can't always participate as fully as Sierra, but she enjoys the crafts, activities, and coloring parts :)

Depending on how we feel, we may continue on with Science studies, or we may break for lunch. Typically Kam is ready for a nap around 12:00 or 12:30, so we also take our cues from her. And speaking of Kam . . . What on earth do I do with her while we are homeschooling? If I had a nickel for every time I was asked that question . . . well, I'd be rich!

Kameryn is actually enjoying her time at the table with the big girls ;) She has her own box full of activities. A new Dora coloring book, crayons, paints {I'm brave}, puzzles, and books. And it is THE.CUTEST.THING.EVER to watch her "learn to read" with Kenners. Usually we take our reading book to the floor in the living room so that we can spread out and get comfy. Kam joins Makenna and I, and as we are sounding out letters and words Kam joins in. Once Kenners is done at the table, often Kam will run off to play with her for a short bit while Sierra and I work together.

That's not to say that every day is easy. We've had trying days. Days when Kameryn is louder, needier, and grouchier than normal. On those days we simply do the best we can. If Sierra were in a classroom with 30 other children, I know there would be interruptions and distractions. And yes, there are occasional distractions here as well. If Sierra is taking a Math test or working on another task that is especially demanding of her attention, she has the option to work in the peace and quiet at a little table in our spare bedroom. But 99% of the time she is at the table with us.

So, where was I? Ah yes, lunch. We take an hour or so for lunch. It gives us time to relax, and gives me time to get Kameryn down for a nap . . . ahhhhhh :) Some days we are done with our studies by lunch time, others we aren't. If we still have subjects to complete {Science, History Pockets, and also a super FUN Kids Bible Study we've started} we wait until Kameryn is napping and finish them then. Otherwise we enjoy the rest of our afternoon!

~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~

And that's our day!

Any other questions? ;)