Our Homeschool Wrap Up: Mom thoughts.

Beware—- Babble. But it’s Mine.

I was thinking about what I would write in this post this past week- Reflecting on our “School Year” as a whole- what we learned, the people we met, the places we went, the curriculum we used, the list goes on… I actually drafted out in one of my many Journals the activities, the extra curriculars we were involved with, the many books I read, etc…. Maybe again this Year convincing myself “I am enough” by seeing it all in print.

But then I sat down at my little Desk, opened up my Space here on the Web, and decided that isn’t my conviction, that isn’t what I want to look back over this year and see as our Homeschool Life… All of it is relevant, and will be in another post, but it’s just not what stands out to me for this page.

Instead, I want to share a glimpse of Growth- as through Growth in Life, we learn most….. and as we wrap up Year 5 of this amazing journey, once again, we have grown so much…

This was our hardest Homeschool Year yet… Not at all due to the Girls…. they have been wonderful and steady, a comfort through this year of triumphs and trials, ups and downs. I have spoken in previous posts about the struggle it has been for us since moving from overseas… Its a different life, at a faster pace, and we are just keeping up in so many ways. I say hard in that, time slips- the schedule was constantly interrupted, modified. The daily norm thrown up-side down due to oh-so-much going on… and structure tossed out the window during whole Seasons. This is sometimes just Military Life in moving so much, trying to find footing on new ground, staying afloat in uncharted waters. But add on all we dealt with in a year, and well, it was Rocky… Luckily we are all good hikers!

But LIFE is Homeschool, Homeschool is Life- they hold hands, they are entwined, rooted to each other, there is no separation…. so here, in my space, I will stay true- It has been a Coaster Ride.

While still in Sicily, we purchased a little Brick Fixer-Upper in Long Beach. We moved in thinking this house would be a Home for many years! An investment sure, yet a place to paint the walls, to decorate for Holidays, to get to know our neighbors, dig a garden, plant some roots. A place to have Family and Friends come and visit, for the older kids to come back to. To have some space, which we were lacking at our last Command. We were 5 mins from the Beach, on a sweet little cul-de-sac on a beautiful street. All should have been wonderful…. However, we quickly realized, just how important community is, and we didn’t have it…. Well, at least not close by. Our children are older, they need more then just me- they need friends and other military kids they can relate to… Our Military Homeschool Group was 40 mins away, and the neighborhood was just toooo quiet. But regardless, I tried. I renovated each space, painted every wall, planted that garden, decorated and made our Home enchanting- we drove across town for meet ups with new Friends and Group and Lessons, yet we didn’t find the happiness we desired, or the full-fillment the girls needed. We felt isolated. There were no children to play with, no Military families around, and it was just far enough away that Dear Husband couldn’t come home for lunch or to say hello on breaks from work when he wasn’t deployed. (Time with him is precious, and not something I take lightly). We felt disconnect, it wasn’t right, for many reasons. So in November- after a fantastic road trip to Tennessee and Northern Georgia-as we were wrapping up Thanksgiving and getting ready to celebrate my 40th, we put the house up for Sale. All of this affected our schooling… The girls were displaced as things were packed away for staging, Husband and I were stressed beyond stress, showings took up afternoons, phone calls, budgets, conversations over the damn roof, and the ever long to-do list of moving ourselves on Base while closing on our 1st House Sale took up all mental capacity… we managed a sweet Christmas, and just after the New Year packed a Uhaul (multiple trips) to our new place- A little blue house on base…. All of the kiddos were along for the whole sha-bang… they were amazing!

As we unpacked our books, our crafts, our curriculum- we melted back into a Homeschool rhythm…. Routine found its way back to our everyday- we were back on track, and calming into Winter… we met some neighbors and the girls made a really good friend, right next door <3 Our house may not be nearly as nice, but we all felt “At Home”….. It was a new start, a re-set, a deflate, a calm. We will not have the Navy, or this lifestyle forever, so we may as well hold on for as long as we can…

Within a couple short months of settling in, Big Brother moved out… It was time for him to set out on the Journey we had been planning on for some time. It’s been crazy cool—- All I will say here, as I try to keep the Teen/Adult kids more private, is he is big time succeeding—- and has made me so so proud <3 It was a hit though, my first child leaving the Nest. A major adjustment… and just as I’m getting more used to it, I will be moving our Madi to College in a few short weeks... Across the Country as well. Half the kids leaving in a 5mth period is just crazy…. We spent so many of our days this Year just being together as much as we can, soaking in quality time before they leave, before the next deployment, before our daily looks so different…. The girls are completely affected, yet also so inspired to watch their older siblings succeed through hard work. Its such a magical thing to witness…. But we already miss Rye daily, and the house will feel so empty when Madi heads on as well!

When Spring arrived, we had to say farewell to our beloved Harvey. He was sick for a long while before we had to say goodbye, and it was excruciating for us. He had been a big part of our Family for 12 wonderful years. Loss was new to the girls, on this level, and we took our time to be with him in the end, to work through our grief. Homeschool allows for that, it allows for us to be on OUR time… I couldnt be more thankful. We brought him to Georgia to bury him in a favorite place, Gpas…. We started Summer with a new little Pup, one who is filling our days with chaos, love, training, laughter and frustration! Koda Banks…. He has been introduced to our Homeschool Rhythym, and we know in time, he will just love sitting at our feet during math lessons and history read alouds, and hit the road for park days and trips…

Through this Year, we have all learned, flexibility is key- Walking the paths that take wild curves we are called to follow, being present in the moments, and making those big changes as our kiddos evolve, and their needs have new callings to be met. Its not a one mold fits all- with every Season we make adjustments, re-evalate what is right in the moment. Growth- its been so so much Growth.

Surrender has been a good word I can reflect on for our 2024-2025 homeschool year. I feel like a different person- I feel stronger, yet beat down. Happy and proud and joyful, even wise- yet sad, stressed, and a little lost…. I also feel I have just GROWN, so much, as a Woman, as a Mother. I know this is part of the cycle for Mama’s, we go through these changes with our children… rooting them on through Life’s stages, praying this finite time slows, can just stand still. Not be so wrapped up in all that is going on outside our walls, but tap into US… I’m not getting this back, this year of 2 moving out and starting new chapters in Life, 2 others under my wing, blossoming and thriving… even though I feel I can’t always show up for myself in all the ways I picture, I at least try my hardest to show up for them…

I will wrap up this post with stating this much- although this Homeschool year may have been my hardest yet, it is still the most wonderful ride. Its a privilege, and truly fills me up each and every year my kiddos choose to stay home to be taught in this way… I look back and see how much Real World Learning they have done, the bits of travel, the camping, the Quality Family Time, the confidence they have gained, how they have developed, the amazing Little Women they are becoming… I’m in awe. Our Homeschool Life is just that, Life. It’s Happening. Everyday. And we are doing our best with it…

We have made the decision to continue on this road for this next academic year, and I’m so excited… It will look drastically different (I’ll speak to that in future posts!) yet oh-so rich…. I hope you stay tuned <3

Up Next- I will be sharing a more detailed break down of each girls Year! Till then- xoxo