Countdown to Summer

This was scheduled to be our last week of school but we might be adding a few days next week due to a nasty little stomach bug that came to live with us this week.

I am having a hard time believing our first official year homeschooling has come to an end.  The only way I can summarize it is by saying that it was real life and the kids lived it with us.  The good, the great, the sad, the stressful.  I think we all grew and learned together and that's been the gift in this process for us.

I read something the other day about homeschooling giving the gift of time and after I got over the initial play with words I found it be so true.  There were many moments this year when I felt truly thankful that Lucy was in front of me when she was asking the questions she was asking.  What would have another person told her?

The many times she asked: "Mom, when you were a little girl, did you have a hard time with _____?".  Her own way of telling me "This is hard.  Tell me you've struggled with it too.  Help me walk it.".

I've often pictured how our routine would be if she had been in school with just a few hours to talk to me at the end of a long day, would those conversations come up?  or would she prefer to get home and crash, have a snack, take a nap, all her words used up?  Would she still want to play, cuddle, read to her brother and sister or would she use her best energy with her friends at recess?  I could be imagining it all wrong but I am still thankful I don't have to wonder.
 

This picture makes my Momma heart sing

I am glad I posted some pictures and memories from this school year but so badly wish I could have documented more.  I love looking back and reading through those all posts.  I hope one day the kids enjoy it too!

Fist popsicle weather day of the year - around February in Texas, LOL!

The following are some things that didn't make it to the earlier posts but I still wanted to have here to look back on.   It's a combination of difference lessons, trips, and random highlights from school.

Minutes before her Daddy baptized her a few weeks after she asked Jesus to come live in her heart.

Happy Day!

Sporting our handmade tie dye homeschool tshirts

Exploring Chama, New Mexico

Learning about Pilgrims and Indians during Thanksgiving

Making a nest.  We learned that "God takes good care of us"

Making bird feeders for our Qq-Quail Lesson where we learned that "We don't grumble or complain.  We are thankful."

Doing what we do best... school while wearing a princess dress:

Using goldfish as a unit of measurement.  How many goldfish long is a book, a pencil, a fork?

Princess Aurora playing a matching game

Snow White planting seeds

My Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders on the way to the Fall Festival

Music was fun in Kindergarten:

Singing in the church choir

With Mrs. Darlene at Piano Lessons

Working towards Green Belt in her recorder for coop class

SCIENCE was always a highlight:

Learning chemistry by cleaning pennies

Making crystals with a borax solution

Science with Magnets - making pipe cleaners dance

 We took a 2 week period to cover our Bb-Butterfly lesson and our Easter lesson right before Easter.  We learned that God can me us NEW.

Our caterpillars fattening up

and we have BUTTERFLIES!  We released them a few days before Resurrection Sunday

 We learned about the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet:

Admiring Mr. Jimmy's blueblonnets

Fingerpainted bluebonnet wrapping paper for Granny's Bday gift

Making playdoh leaves for this "tree" for our Ll-Leaf lesson.  We learned that "We will live and grow in Jesus".

at Home Depot's paint department learning about mixing colors for our Yy-Yellow Lesson where we learned that we "thank God for His beautiful world".

Ii-Insect lesson - Categorizing what is and what is not an insect?

Learning how to braid with yarn hair

See that little zebra in the corner of the picture frame?  We hid those all over the house and played a scavenger hunt.  Every time a kid found one they would run over to us and say "I can't hide anything from God!" - the lesson of our Zz-Zebra unit.

This day in school we learned about hospitality by hosting a cyclist who rode from San Diego to Georgia after having survived a battle with cancer.  He happens to be our uncle and we are so very proud of him!

Lucy's very first REAL/Grown Up Bible in all its pink glory

One of the first verses she wanted to highlight.  She's amazed that God has her name inscribed on His hand.  She's told everyone she knows :)

Learning about LOVE

and He who loved the most.

AND that's it!  Hope you are still awake.  Thank you for letting us share our life with you. :)