We had a very laid back week. I don’t even feel a little bit guilty about it. We’ve gotten the necessary basics done. I finally got new headphones for Silje, so that she can do Chinese again. It took her about one day of lower scores to catch up, and now she’s flying through once again.
I was so thankful that I got to go to “Mom’s Night Out” with our homeschool group last night. Knut’s mom was willing to stay with the kids and it was so nice to get out at the end of this busy week. We had a discussion on how we view success in homeschooling. It’s the end of the year for most of us, and how on earth do you feel done? Sometimes it’s as simple as just finishing a book. In all reality, it takes more judgment than that.
Yesterday after school, Silje asked me if she could read her history book just for fun. (She has to ask permission to read “school books” during non school time. I made this rule because I need to be sure that these books last for other years and other kids.) She spent an hour curled up in a chair, reviewing her ancient history lessons from the year. To me, not only giving her knowledge, but a love of knowledge is success. I’ve also had the rule that she’s not allowed to read a school book on her own time until we have read it in school. Next year’s curriculum is already on the shelf waiting for me to go over it this summer. It’s driving her nuts just staring at in and not being able to devour the books. So instead, she’s going through and reading her books from this year all over again. She’s asking to do this on her own time!
I look back on all the deep conversations we had together. I see how she knows more about grammar now than I did going into high school. I think of all the times we butted heads. She struggles with reading comprehension, and won’t recognize that. I probably quiz her too much after reading a schoolbook, although Knut doesn’t think I quiz her enough. Anyway, I started asking her the usual questions about her reading assignment and she rolled her eyes at me and said, “Mommy, if you’re so interested in the book why don’t you read it?”
We’re spending a lot of time outdoors these days. We’re doing the garden together. Some days she is my right hand, and others she’s a floppy, silly girl. I think a good 6 year old has a bit of both, although her silly days drive me nuts sometimes. Then on days when she is so helpful I feel guilty that I lean on that help. In my heart, though, I know that everything I ask her to do has value. Learning to care for others, how to serve, how to clean…are at least as important as “school work” in my opinion.
Like Silje, I feel myself worrying less about this year and already have my eyes set on next year. She’s so excited about her new books, that she spends time every afternoon looking over each one again and again. She reads the backs of them, which is all I’ve allowed so far. I wonder how different it will be bringing boys into our school day more and more.
For one thing, there might be more “superhero days” that the kids have declared this morning. Nothing to do with our studies, but for some reason, they wanted to pull out the clearance Halloween costumes from last year. (I always wait until after Halloween and the costumes are at least 75% off, and then I buy bunches of costumes for their dress up box.)
It’s the end of the year…can you tell? Don’t worry, we’ll get to math. We always do. This is our “socialization” time. 😉
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