Wow, we did it!

You might want to check out this post that I wrote on Sunday August 16th, 2009. This was the Eve of our very first homeschool day. I guess you can call it Homeschool Eve. Well today, Friday May 28th, 2010 marks our last day of homeschool for this school year. I really can't believe we did it! It has not always been easy, there have been really bad days, frustrating days, but then there have also been really good days, wonderful days, days when I feel so blessed to homeschool our three amazing kids. I wouldn't trade this year for anything! It truly has been an amazing journey and one I look forward to continuing in the years to come. I was thinking about what my favorite part of homeschooling has been so here is a little top 10 list of my favorite memories from our homeschool year.

10. Learning the 50 states with my kids. I'll admit it, geography is not my strong point. I have lacked some major geography skills but I am happy to stay I am now pretty good at locating all 50 states. It sure doesn't make me feel smart though when my 5 year old daughter can do the same.

9. Being cozy on the couch on rainy days reading books together. I LOVE those days! I have really enjoyed reading the first Little House in the Big Woods. It was a great read and brought on so many discussions about what life was like "in the olden days."

8. I really enjoyed our Science study on the Solar System. I loved the curriculum and was amazed at how much information we could pull out to last the entire school year. It's always great to see my kids retain information. And our fun science experiments have been a highlight as well.

7. Going on Field trips with SWAP (Schooling with a Purpose) has offered school outside the classroom with other homeschool families and each field trip has been educational, fun, and purposeful. The kids would agree that this is a homeschool favorite.

6. Developing friendships with some amazing women has brought me so many blessings. I have connected with a great core group of homeschooling moms and they have each brought me so much joy. Kelly, Tara, Stephanie, and Jenna are amazing women and I love doing life with them!

5. Seeing my kids grow in their relationship with Christ has been such a treat. With our daily devotions, they have been in God's word and studies scriptures in depth. We always start our homeschool days with prayer and devotions and this is certainly the highlight of my morning. I love reading the Bible with my kids!

4. Hearing Annagrace ask for help and admit that she doesn't know how to do something is HUGE! When we first started the year she was overly confident and did not want ANY help with ANYTHING. It made it very frustrating for the both of us. There were many days where I would make her say, "I don't know how to do this, I need help." Or, "I make mistakes and that is how I will learn." Or "I am not perfect, only Jesus is." Those saying have become quite popular with this child. Given that she has a brilliant mind and is always eager to learn, I had to bring her down a notch as far as allowing herself to make mistakes and seek help when needed. And she did just that. She now happily asks for help and will be the first to admit she makes mistakes (well, maybe not the first) but we are getting there.

3. Seeing Jadon fall back in love with learning again. I even found him doing school work a few times when we were all done with school. You see we started the year with him feeling very defeated coming off of such a rough school year and having no enjoyment whatsoever when it came to learning. It was great to see this shift into a kid who loves to read, write, and learn new things. I never imagined I would be saying something like that with how he started the year. I am very proud of this boy! :)

2. Watching Camden improve in reading can make this mommy cry. It might not have been as much improvement as I have hoped but it is improvement and for that I am very pleased. His confidence has grown, he is motivated to learn how to be a better reader, and he is a hard worker. This boy also makes this mommy VERY proud!

1. And my #1 favorite thing that this school year has brought is the relationships I have been able to build with my kids. The quality time I have spent with them, the one on one time I have spent teaching them, and the laughter (and the tears) has bonded us in such a deep way. I am more in love with my kids today than I was a year ago. And in addition to this, it has been an amazing time of growth for our family and even in our marriage. Michael has been an AMAZING support system to me and allowed me to vent and cry when needed and always has a great way of encouraging to keep on keeping on. I did send him one text message this school year telling him that I quit. He was quick to reply and shot into action and once again, saved the day. I couldn't do this without him, that is for sure!

So what's next? Well, we are taking a few weeks off of school work. Part of this time will be spent on vacation in Colorado. I am so ready for vacation and can't wait to get a way. Come mid June I will start the kids on a summer reading program and continue with their math so they don't fall behind. After all, I am the one who has to rope them back in come August so I will do my best to keep their minds active this summer. We are also going to study History and the different wars. This will involve watching movies, studying on the Internet, and reading. I will make it as fun as possible since after all it is summer!