It's January Already!?

 Oh man. Forgot all about this again - I guess that means we're busy!

The kids have had a great few months. October flew by with lots of learning, crafts and enjoyment. November was a breeze. December was hectic, but in the best ways possible! We spent each day learning about new holiday related things, working on Christmas-themed work, and of course, making decorations and baking!! The kids had a riot. When I find the camera, I'll upload some more pictures.

 Our days are changing. In September I started with a proper schedule. We had certain topics we'd be covering, it was how I wanted the days to be, and that was that. The kids went with it and there were only minor bumps. By the end of October, they were over that. Going down to the classroom wasn't something they enjoyed - Reese actually pointed out, "You pulled us out of school, now you still make us spend our days in a classroom!". 

 The hardest part for me is accepting that home learning just isn't the same as a classroom - and that's a GOOD thing! I don't want them to feel like they're in grade 1 and grade 3 rooms; I want them to feel like they're LIVING and LEARNING. So, we moved out of the classroom and into the living room/kitchen/dining area/bedrooms/front yard/backyard/coffee shops...really, wherever we feel like learning. We dug a cave in the snow yesterday, and Lauren is hoping to use that for her reading spot on Monday. :)

 We've eased up on our 'forced schedule'. I get the work that I expect for the week ready, and I allow the kids to decide what they're working on and when. That seems a little risky, allowing a 6 and 8 year old to choose what they do, but the kids are surprisingly open to work. They understand that their only expectation at this point is to be successful with their work. They take pride in it, and the improvements are incredible.

 I've also cut back on the paper work and we're encouraging more 'real life' learning. A quick example - instead of doing a worksheet about measurements, we spend the afternoon in the kitchen baking and talking about measurements. It's making a huge difference with their attitudes, and they're retaining information. SUCCESS!

 Without any doubt, the best part of this decision to home school is seeing the way the kids are growing. Don't get me wrong - some days I would love nothing more than to send them to school so I can breathe! We have bad days...but we also have some of the most incredible days I've ever experienced. It's the simple things - waking up to find Reese has been up for hours in his room reading a book (A BOOK!!!! REESE!!! READING!!!), or seeing the joy on their faces when they master a new skill. As crazy as they can make me, I wouldn't trade any of this for anything. They're happy, confident, beautiful little monsters. We'd be missing so much of this if we were passing them off to somebody else Monday-Friday, 8:30-3:30.

 So, next time I hop on the computer I'll add on some work samples and photos of what we've been up to!

 Cheers!!