we made it through another year, our third, and it was beautiful….

If Im being honest, continuing to Homeschool was not the plan… Don’t get me wrong, I have loved every single minute of it, the hardships through the laughter, and the memories made are irreplaceable. But for this next chapter we had every intention of our children returning to Brick and Mortar Walls, for myself to join them in being involved as a Substitute and PTA Member and Volunteer- Yet, things change. Life happens, and with children, you just have to surrender to the days as they unfold.

Last Summer, we were on a trip to England. while standing in line at the Tower of London, Birdy and Story’s little hands in mine, my phone buzzed. It was an email coming through with the news that I had been hired on in a Kinder Class for our local Navy Base school! (a position I applied for at the end of last school term) This was wonderful news as it would allow me to be with the kids everyday when they returned to school, while also bringing in some extra, much desired, income- I looked over at Dear Husband and read him the message, and instantly felt my left hand being squeezed tight- Birdy looked up at me, eyes wide and speaking loud- I know that face. The script was flipped, yet again… Where her determination to enter the halls of Middle School for 6th grade, to give it a shot, was so strong, it now crumbled with this reality that it was approaching, and becoming real. In the days that followed- conversations had, the gut and heart and soul tuning in to tell me what to do- I gave up the position, feeling relief in KNOWING I made the right choice…

At the start of this past school year I wanted to share in Blog Posts and through Instagram what our Homeschool life looks like- But that didnt happen ;) I honestly get so wrapped up in the daily groove that I dont find time often for this Space in the way I intend to. I hope to change that this year as our rhythm is a bit more set, and I feel honestly more Seasoned as a Homeschool Mom!

This year was absolutely lovely…. The girls are at such amazing ages for learning- Birdy year 6, and Story year 2… As we added our last Notebooking pages to the Portfolios, printed out the Math results, jotted down the books whose stories filled us up, and stored away some of the projects from the year, we look back with full hearts- and a pure inspiration for this upcoming year!

But before I get to the plan for 2023-24, let me share some of our favorite resources…

Curriculum:

• I honestly do not use to much curriculum normally- especially in the younger years, however this year for 6th grade we used Oak Meadow for both History and Science. (Birdy is getting older so Im starting to add in trickles more of it) I love that the text books have engaging writing, and there are multiple activities, lessons, and assignments to choose from. We would “Rabbit Hole” down topics of interest, gloss over others- I used this for Story as well, reading aloud the text, then modifying an assignment for her age… We also continued Geography, both girls creating a poster board size Map over the year; Birdy drew out the whole world, countries/seas/oceans etc- where Story focused on the USA- States and Capitals. She also used “Mapping” through Blossom and Root, which was included in her ELA Curriculum. We worked a little every week on both. We dove deep into books, so so many books!- from our Home and Public Library, reading aloud about everything from the Mayan civilization to Theodore Roosevelt! We love Thorton Burgess Animal books, All of the DK Smithsonians, National Geographic and all of the beautiful Nature Study collections- A few favorite resources for History and Science: DK Find Out , Space.com, Youtube channels, finding Documentaries through Disney and Netflix (anything David Attenborough- Also watch “Penguin Town” for fun!) and hands on experimenting (Pinterest has fabulous ideas!) We also LOVE Wild and Free Courses, and have completed Rachel Kovac’s Music of Mozart study and are continuing with The Young Naturalist BOTH of which I highly recommend! They are full of beauty and handcrafts and art- and adding on to both of them with your own books and research, you can create a whole unit of study! We worked through a Native Peoples Unit from Jodi Mockabee, adding in her style of Notebooking for our main way to simplify and record our studies… Nature Journaling continues to be a weekly practice, as well as spending as much time outside as possible (Ill save more about that for another post ;))

• For Math we used Teaching textbooks for 6th grade, and Splash Learning for 2nd. These are both online Math sites which you pay a yearly tuition, but my girls liked both of them. Story loves workbooks so I also included a few grade appropriate fun texts I found through Amazon. Some days she would just curl up on the couch and work through multiple pages. Khan Academy is Free and we use it for extra practice! (also great for some science and history and even ELA!)

• ELA is done in our home through reading! Books are cluttered in every room, filling shelves and at the foot of beds, even in our car- we dont let the kids use screens much, so a book has become their go-to. We make a weekly or bi-weekly Library run, created Birdy a ‘Goodreads’ account so she can make wish lists, have become avid Amazon book orderers, adding in some classics along the way!

Some favorite Titles from this Year:

Anne of Green Gables

The Secret Garden

Mary Poppins

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe

Charolette’s Web

Mysterious Benedict Society

Oliver Twist

Matilda

Magic Treehouse Books

Books are the center of learning in our Home- They encourage curiosity and wonder, and through reading my Children have learned spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure, writing, etc. We have continued to incorporate Brave Writer for some titles, a few Grammer workbooks we skim (ordered again from Amazon), cursive handwriting and typing. Story used a bit of Blossom and Root, which introduced her to a deeper world of Folk Tales and diverse reading. I also created a freebie printable Vocab Sheet which is great for Elementary years- you can find it here. I have the girls Journal many mornings to start our day, as its a fantastic way to let out thoughts and wake up the mind. Poetry is also very present in our Home- we read, copy, recite, make art, and construct collages inspired by the words of Shel Silverstein, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson, among others…

Aside from these main “Subjects” our Family has continued to keep a very Eclectic approach to our Homeschool… We use many styles, depending on the Season of Life we are in, including bits of Unschooling, Waldorf, Charolette Mason, Travel Schooling, etc. I havent found that just one style fits our Home, yet that so many methods have incredible things to offer! I will say though, in our Home, routine is important (so that I try to keep as a constant ;))… We joined our local Homeschool group which introduced more Italian culture, Art, Writing, and community- We hosted hikes up on Mt Etna, joined in for fruit picking adventures at local farms, park playdates, field trips to museums and the coast- Story joined Gymnastics this year, and we found she has a major talent there! Birdy often visits our local Teen Center to hang with friends, and has also completed writing 3 chapter books, her writing is still her main Jam! We cook almost daily, learn foreign language in drips, play piano and dance when the mood calls for it, embroider, sew, craft, paint, walk, bike ride, skate, PLAY, construct amazing forts, snuggle, and learn by candle light. We embrace the Seasons, studying the fun and traditions of the Holidays, and we TRAVEL…. We take many days off just to read in the grass, listen to music, bake pies and cakes, and enjoy the luxury of boredom and a slower pace of life….

Homeschooling my children has been the best decision I could have made for them…. Andrew and I continue each year to evaluate their wants, what is right for their education, and honor their decisions of where they choose to learn. However, gone are the days of my worries and questioning myself “am i enough?” As we both continue to watch them thrive, grow, play, enjoy learning through exploration, curiosity, books and nature, our souls are filled with a pure comfort that no matter how rocky the steps, there is a path…

The process is ever evolving… Whether its new ideas flourishing, or wonder changes our direction- a big move is on the horizon, we hit a road block, or we drop one study to dive into another, somehow we always find our way. When I look back on this year, I see how much we really did! How the girls writing has improved, their play has changed into theatrical games, making costumes and creating home movies! How much art work and hand crafts I have to find space to store, or how heavy our nature boxes have become, weighed down with sticks and rocks and treasures…

I look back on the trips we took through Europe, standing in History itself, memories I hope they hold onto for a lifetime. I have etched into my mind the picture of them barefoot in the grass, making mud sculptures in the front yard, climbing trees, skinned knees, paint stained finger nail beds, matted hair and pajama school days- peg dolls and air dry clay sculptures and half done projects that litter the house… I never want to forget a moment of it <3

Each year our Homeschool picture is a blank canvas, ready to create into our own divine masterpiece- Fitting in our Family’s Culture, interests, what makes our hearts beat! I know I havent shared too many solid resources, but honestly that is because we are always trying new things, seeing if they fit…

Its a constant organic wave you just have to float on to find your “School Groove”—- Wrapping up this year comes with a bitter sweetness…. I feel accomplished and confident, yet also a bit saddened its over… These girls are growing so fast, my mama heart can hardly stand it at all.

If you made it this far in this post i applaud you! Thank you for being here in my little journaling corner… I promise to continue to share our journey, and if this is your calling as well, I wish you and your family the best! Its going to be wonderful—- Till next time, xoxo

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