Unschool-ology

Unschool-ology
Unschooling: Living Without School; Living Free Range-Freedom to Learn What One Wants When One Wants

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Living the Dream and a New School Year

I have said it a few times, and so will any other seasoned homeschool mom...some days I wonder what it would be like for my oldest to be in school and just to have a toddler at home. When Big S was an only child, I imagined myself dropping her off in the morning, meeting friends for breakfast and walking the track while it is still early and quiet outside, and then going home for Bible time and cleaning. After that I would go back to the school around 11 or noon to help out the rest of the day and pick up my precious girl. All the teachers would know who I was. I would know her friends. And we would never have to deal with the bus or the dreaded car line. It was the dream. Then, after Little S was born, I imagined that I would bring Big S to school, come home, relax with the baby, just teaching her and staring at her lovingly while she nursed. Maybe attend a Parents as Teachers group connection or a Kindermusik. Then back to the school I'd go to get my big baby. Of course I would be in the PTO and help to organize all the extras. And I would probably come to the school a day or two each week to stay involved. I would have the "Mom of an Honor Student" sticker proudly plastered in more than one spot on my car, and wear my school spirit shirt to every event.

Of course all of this is going on in my imagination.

The reality of it is that we spent the morning reading the newest Gooney Bird Greene book aloud while the baby hung off my boob trying to do summersaults while still attached. Then we watched The Beginning of Life together, cuddled up in the bed while it poured outside. We followed this up with cursive while I sang to Little S, who consistently said "more" every time I finished a song. Then we read "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom." Well, I would start a sentence, and she would turn the page while I was still talking. Still counts, right? Then came Bible time for both of us and nap for the little one-which we wished was for both of us too. I had to put Little S down for a nap so that we could eat lunch and listen to our Story of the World CD without someone screaming in 5 second intervals just to get our attention. She woke up as I was typing this, and then she screamed for about 5 minutes because she wanted her sister's car that she has for her 18' dolls. Which, of course, her sister finally obliged. (Oh jeez, she really is the typical baby of the family.) Now Little S is happily eating her leftovers from last night while Big S is downstairs playing with her trains, and setting up her train village so-so. (Hmm...I am starting to wonder if I will ever see her again at this point.) Some days it is boring. Other days are exciting. Some days are "normal." Some days are packed full, and sometimes not with anything remotely educational.

But the truth of it is, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. The juggling. The noise. The days where we are both too drained to do anything. All the chauffeuring. All the worrying. I came to this realization, with no question about it, when I experienced school for the first time. I mean, I do not like to treat my sisters any different than my own children, because right now, it is my job to be their parent. So every deep talk I had planned to have with Big S as a preteen, I have initiated with the oldest of my younger sisters. Any extras I would buy for Big S, I would buy for them. Any special activity I would do for my girls, I would do for them. So we went school supply shopping. Yep, definitely thought that would be more magical than it was. (Maybe it is a kid thing? They said they enjoyed it.) We went to open house. That was pretty neat. Everybody was chatty and excited and the teachers were all excited. Classrooms were ready. The night before school we had the dinner they chose. In fact, the oldest of my sisters cooked it with supervision, but minimal assistance. The build up was kind of exciting. But then the day finally came. The house was finally gonna be two kids less crowded. I took them to school to drop them off. What an exciting day I remember the first day being. You pick out your best outfit the night before. You make sure your backpack is just perfect. That school better watch out, because Here. You. Come! Well, we did all that. I even helped them pick out accessories. But when the morning finally came, everybody was dragging. The drop off line was 45 minutes long. I was ready to get out of there, but when I finally pulled in front of those doors....I didn't want to let her go. I just wanted to grab my youngest sister's arm and tell her she was staying home. Of course the same happened when I made it to the middle school for my other sister. I thought I was okay, but I wasn't. They aren't even my kids, but after keeping them the last 7 months, and spending the entire Summer break with them, sun up to sun down-for the most part, I just didn't want to let them go. And my heart hurts when I think of all that they won't get to do with us anymore. The morning time read alouds. The hours of playing games together until Jessie gets home. The weekly trips to do something fun-swim, pick sunflowers, riding bikes at the park. I was two ducklings short. And while the trips to the store will be easier, the days will be missing something.

But, alas, we must move forward. So...Samantha has requested to use more curriculum this year. She enjoys the fill in the blank, and feels she learns best that way, which is shocking to me because she is my artist one. But if that is what she wants, that is what we sha'll do. We chose "The Family Under the Bridge" as her first read aloud. It is a Newberry medal winner about homelessness. For a lighter note, we are going to listen to Winnie the Pooh on audio in the car. For math, we are continuing to use Master Books Living Math, which I highly recommend for the elementary years if you are looking for a laidback curriculum that does not drill and kill. And the best part is that it connects math to real life through stories for each lesson and related word problems. We bought the Story of the World CD for History. For more History/Bible she is doing Discover for Yourself Kids again, but this semester she is doing Genesis and Abraham, Issaac, and Jacob. She isn't attending the class again because they are doing Revelations, and she wanted to go in order. And for Science, we are not sure. I am still under the notion that, if given enough time to explore, she will learn all the Science basics for elementary and maybe middle on her own. (Although, next year she is considering a co-op by the house.) let's see...Her baking business is still going strong. In fact, she has an order she is dropping off this Saturday for THREE pastries! It isn't even from someone she knows. It is a woman at her grandmother's job that tried some of her samples and picked up her card! Along with that, she has started her own research on trains and villages, as mentioned earlier. She is going to continue with Heritage Girls, and probably take Intermediate tennis next Spring.

It is going to be a good year. I cannot believe we are going on our 6th year of homeschooling. How can it be? We are considering her 4th/5th grade. Her math is 5th grade, but her age is 4th because of the late birthday, and everything else she does has no grade assigned to it. I have met so many new homeschooling Moms this year, and it makes me miss the days of finger paints and unit studies that included topic related baking and storybooks. But I am looking forward. As I see her taking more initiative and studying what she wants on her own time, or doing her math with minimal assistance, I can't believe how far she has come. Besides, I have another one coming up on the days of math games and learning to read. Maybe that will keep me busy when Big S starts to drive!